


holding out for a hero

by frootwyn



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: F/F, FLUFF. CENTRAL., Little bit of angst, SO MUCH FLUFF, Wayhaught - Freeform, dorky gays, im not good at angst, not a slow burn, quickly jumps from plot to plot im sorry, this is my first wayhaught fic lemme breathe, wynonna earp - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-05-29 15:42:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 55,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15076376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frootwyn/pseuds/frootwyn
Summary: Nicole Haught never attaches herself to anyone, nor any place, due to the constant spontaneity of her life. She's a superhero after all, and getting called to fight crime at unexpected points of the day definitely keeps her on her toes. That is until she finds someone who finally makes her feel grounded. She hates to trust that she can breathe around Waverly, but every time she's around her, it feels right.





	1. introduction

Nicole was seven years old when she was first sat down by her parents, who basically told her that she had to grow up in the span of two hours. It was her seventh birthday, her parents finally let her get her ears pierced; she'd gotten a mountain of presents. Now, though, at 9:08 in the evening, she was told to pack all her things, forget everything about the town she'd grown up in, and start a new life. She wanted to question why. She wanted to scream it at her parents until she had no voice left, but she knew it was too serious to be whining about. Whatever the reason, no amount of detesting her parents would cause them to stop for a second. In those two hours, she crossed a fine line between childhood and adulthood. Her childhood ended that day, and she never got it back besides the few times she was able to play with new friends she met in the new town she moved to. Playdates were always ruined, though. Her parents wouldn't allow her to do certain things a normal kid does like watch television for more than two hours a week, stay out in the sun for more than three hours at a time, plug in any electronics, or use said electronics for more than her parents wanted her to. Nicole thought it was just a punishment, or maybe her parents just wanted her to live like it was the 'old days', but Nicole soon found out that wasn't the case.

One day, she watched two hours and one minute of television, timed. She went outside in the sun for four hours. She plugged in every electronic she knew of. Nothing happened immediately. However, when Nicole's skin started glowing bright blue, her eyes became red, and she watched a white light make its way through all her veins, she locked herself in the bathroom and didn't dare move until it was over. Four hours passed and still she was morphing into something foreign to her imagination. She now felt physical pain. She laid on the ground in a ball, crying and trying not to scream as the white light continued moving from vein to vein, sending a burning sensation through every inch of Nicole's body. Finally, she screamed in pain. She screamed louder than she ever had, and suddenly she was standing up, looking in the mirror, and screaming at her reflection. She screamed until the mirror was sent cracking and breaking in front of her, until the shards were falling and bouncing to the ground, until the shower curtain fell, and her body glowed so brightly she couldn't see anymore.

Nicole's parents came running in, bursting down the locked door to find their seven year old still screaming into a broken mirror.

 

-

 

She'd read about superheroes in comic books, drew them as a child, and fantasized about being able to turn invisible so she would always win hide-and-seek. Never did she expect it to be as painful as it turned out. Her parents regulated her activities so she wouldn't find out, so she wouldn't have to spend her life with a buzz in her ear every time a crime was being committed in Purgatory. Nicole was no superhero: she wasn’t super, nor was she really a hero. Every notification of a crime she’d get, she’d ignore unless it was something she could help while looking like a regular human being, rather than some suited-up, glowing being of a ‘hero’. Her parents kept telling her that since she knew of her abilities, it was her duty to put them to good use. The only ‘good use’ they were put to, though, was winning hide-and-seek, cleaning her room without moving a muscle, and breezing through homework. She didn’t believe she really had the strength to help the city, nor even help herself.

Nicole had her life taken from her, so she was at lost of an identity. All she felt was like she was some empty vessel. She knew she had a purpose, but she couldn’t fulfill it. It was too much to handle for someone who was only twelve; she didn’t even know the ropes of life, so it was impossible for her to know the ropes of saving other people’s.

Through intense training and staying up all night to learn the ways of balancing her abilities, though, Nicole was forced to put herself to work. The public first learned about the new superhero when Nicole was thrown into a shooting happening at a local bar. Not only was this an intense first job, but it was an intense way to introduce herself to the world. She stopped the flying bullets, froze the perpetrators with the guns, and “saved the day” as Purgatory’s News would put it. Before she could even be interviewed, she darted back to her house, and tried to tend to the bullet wounds she endured.

 _Purgatory Today_  named Nicole’s super-identity “Ultrared”, most likely in reference to the red strands of hair that peaked through her mask.

 

-

 

Waverly Earp sat at home on her bed, television playing as background noise while she doodled over her homework. Triangles were so dull before she got to work on them.

 **ALERT** :  _ULTRARED_  TO SAVE PURGATORY.

Waverly’s head darted up, turning the volume up on the television. She watched the muscular hero save her first lives. The long-haired seventeen year old’s heartbeat started to accelerate as she gazed at the glowing being on screen take bullets and protect the innocent lives of the people in Shorty’s. Immediately, she ripped a clean sheet of paper and began sketching what she was able to make of the hero onscreen. Ultrared was only featured in a blurry video from an iPhone, but Waverly was determined to construct a real hero, not just one who looked like a flying glowstick. She had a whole vision of what Ultrared was, and what she could do, just from one glimpse. It was like she knew her already, but at the same time she was so mysterious to Waverly. With just a forty second video, Waverly found her light in life. Ultrared was Purgatory’s hero, and if she was a hero to Purgatory, she was a hero to Waverly.

Nicole really was some hero- some hero who couldn’t even walk due to the pain in her sides. Her suit was supposed to be bulletproof, but apparently it was  _her_  job to be the bulletproof one.

 

-

 

“People assume way too much about superheroes.” Nicole muttered to herself as she patched up her own wounds. She grimaced, holding back a yelp as she struggled to get a few Hello Kitty band-aids over a bullet scar. Hospitals were out the question. Nicole had to keep herself as far from related to Ultrared as humanly possible, and showing up to the hospital alive with four bullet wounds is a very clear given.

Still, she had to go on like the normal teenager that she was. She hauled her backpack on the next morning and made her way to work towards completing her senior year of high school.

Waverly enjoyed school, especially the view she had of Nicole from the back of English class. As for everyone at school, Waverly was the stereotypical head cheerleader with boys falling for her every second, boys including Champ Hardy and Tucker Gardner. Internally, though, Waverly was the opposite of her stereotypes. She secretly had a knack for drawing, along with talents including singing, and playing three instruments: guitar, flute, and piano. She also had a knack for falling for the wrong people. That wrong person being Nicole Haught.

Nicole had a friend or two at school, but everyone else knew her as a massive nobody who happened to like girls. She lived the typical out-at-school lifestyle. People talked behind her back and made their assumptions about her, and she ignored it. Apparently, she was a bad kid to hang around with; she had a bad reputation of things she had never even done. She lived her life in the shadows, which movies would depict as the perfect person to live a double life as a superhero. Nobody paid any attention to her unless it was negative so, of course, she was the secretly interesting girl with the powers.

Waverly gazed at Nicole from the back of the class, simultaneously sketching yet another doodle of Ultrared; she was on her fifth one. In Waverly’s lovestruck mind, Ultrared had hair just like Nicole’s, but longer and in a french braid. Waverly bit her lip as she looked at how her drawing was coming along, her heart racing again. In just a short amount of time, Waverly found herself falling head over heels for yet another unreachable person. Of course, it crushed her, but she enjoyed the feeling of having a crush. She could admire in secret, and as long as no one finds her drawings, she could still be seen as the free, happy, not-creepy head cheerleader.

Nicole sat slouched in her chair, scratching designs into a wooden pencil. With a sudden buzz, she heard the high pitched squeak come from her ear, causing her to sit up and hold it as casually as she could. She bit her lip so hard she started to taste copper; the frequency wasn’t something she ever planned on being used to, but she supposed she would eventually. She looked in front of her to see the crime, description, and location in glowing letters, only visible to her eyes.

EARP HOMESTEAD

THREATENED MURDER (KNIFE, GUN INVOLVED)

VICTIM: WYNONNA EARP

 _Earp_. Nicole, along with being a bit infatuated with a certain Waverly Earp, would do anything for the Earps. She owed her life to Wynonna in a sense, for being one of the first friends she ever made in Purgatory. When Nicole was the newest seven year old on the playground, Wynonna made sure she felt cool when she invited her to play with the ‘older kids.’ She remembered her parents bringing her out so she could meet friends, and Wynonna took her right in with her group. They may have never talked much after a few playdates, but nonetheless, Nicole was thankful for Wynonna. Always. 

Nicole felt her chest tighten, like someone had wrapped her up like a ball of rubber bands. If something was happening to Wynonna Earp that she couldn’t handle, Nicole had to be the one to get her out of trouble.

Nicole’s hand shot up, “May I use the restroom, please?” She didn’t even wait to be called on. She could care less if it was troublesome, or if she was interrupting. She had to leave now, and nothing was going to stop her from doing so.

Her teacher sighed, “Is it an emergency? This is the middle of a lecture.”

“Monthly problems.” Nicole lied, the class snickering.

Her teacher’s eyes went wide. All he could take from that was that Nicole’s ‘monthly problems’ were some type of demonic bloodshed. It wasn’t often that a student was so blunt, so he knew it was better just to let her go than to try to argue.

Nicole sprung up and ran out the classroom, darting to the bathroom. She stood in the stall, clenched her fists, and felt the pain of the first time she experienced her powers coming to life. By now, she was used to it, but it was still painful, especially with the bullet wounds on her sides. Her suit embodied her and her hair braided itself back. She held her breath and was able to make herself invisible to the naked eye. She slipped through the closed stall door, through the bathroom wall, and started sprinting once she was outside. As she picked up speed, her body became visible as she jumped into the air, the wind stinging the bit of exposed skin left from the mask. She flew as fast as she could over Purgatory, making it just past the border to the Homestead. Not quite being a confident hero, she walked through the door to see Wynonna pinned to the wall, a knife to her neck. Ultrared forcefully pushed her arm outwards, sending a ball of ice toward the perpetrator. He fell to the ground, knife falling out of his hand. Ultrared put a boot to his chest, taking the knife and gun from his person. She smiled, this crime was much easier to face than her first. The culprit, in this case, was not very reluctant or strong, and was clearly unexpecting, which is a huge plus. Since Ultrared was still new in town, not everyone know of her yet, but with the rush of saving an Earp’s life, she found a new passion for finally putting her skills to good use.

“What kind of superhero just walks through the door?” The criminal quivered, but didn’t want to let a woman know that he was scared of her. Purgatory wasn’t the most progressive yet, but Ultrared aimed to change that.

“One with more common sense than a man.” Ultrared applied pressure to his chest as cops burst through the doors, taking care of the rest of the job. Ultrared was Nicole’s better self, one that made her feel like she really did have a purpose- one that she would apply herself to fulfill.

Wynonna, now breathing properly, got up off the wall, “I could’ve done that,” She panted.

Ultrared couldn’t help but to chuckle, “Sure you could.” She walked out and launched herself back into the sky, able to make it back in class without a bit of suspicion. At least this time she wasn’t the one with a knife to her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this story, i really hope y'all enjoy the rest :)


	2. false alarms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly have an unfortunate start to their friendship, but nonetheless, one blooms. False crime alarms start to get on Nicole's nerves.

Ultrared was the new talk of of the town. Everyone wanted a chance to be lucky enough to talk to her, but immediately after saving a life, she would disappear back into the comfort of her room, out of her suit. The suit would patch itself up, but Nicole’s injuries lasted longer than Ultrared’s. After yet another shooting incident, Nicole stood in front of her bathroom mirror, on her third pack of bandages this week. She’d finally gotten around to buying bigger ones, but still put a decorative one on top so it wasn’t as bland.

Luckily, this time, she only had one bullet wound to patch up. She was becoming a professional at addressing the wounds she encountered, even though a hospital treatment would be a much better option. With two extra large bandages, Nicole patched up her shoulder, completing the look with a sparkly Trolls-themed band-aid.

Nicole made her way to school the next morning, backpack hanging off her good shoulder. She dragged herself to her locker and slouched against it, then slowly bringing herself to sit on the ground. She had one leg folded in, the other out. She was quite early to school, so she took out a Rubik’s cube, already having memorized how to solve it. She hadn’t looked up for about ten minutes, too focused in on solving the cube over and over. Solving it gave her a sense of security, like if there was one thing she could get right, it was that. So invested in calming herself, she was oblivious to the group of people laughing and walking past her, one of them happening to have a falling out with her foot. 

“Sorry!” Nicole shouted as she pulled it back in. She quickly slid onto her knees and assisted whoever fell. People at school already didn’t like her much, she didn’t need the group of jocks to make the experience any harder for her. For all she knew, they would start saying she purposefully tripped the girl who fell, or they would somehow relate the accident back to her sexuality (which she still isn’t sure how it got out). 

“Watch yourself, dy-”

“Champ!” Waverly was the one who tripped. Without even looking at Nicole first, she turned to Champ to give him a dirty look. He and the group continued walking, assuming Waverly would just get up to follow them. 

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” Nicole watched as Waverly brought herself to her knees, too, brushing her hair out the way. Waverly’s cheeks were pink, obviously embarrassed from falling. Nicole felt like an absolute dick. The guilt she was feeling already was crawling through her veins, and she knew this would keep her up at night. Logically, she was aware it was an accident and out of her control, but she still wished she could’ve prevented it from happening. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Waverly smiled, “Sorry about Champ. He’s an ass.” She was well aware of how awful Champ could be, but that group of people was the group she was in. Nobody really left their clique, and Waverly didn’t plan on leaving hers, even if they could be assholes. She always corrected them, if that counted for anything. 

“Kind of.” Nicole chuckled timidly, not wanting to offend Waverly if she and him happened to be dating. He was always all over her, so it was what she assumed at this point. 

“I wish he’d just go away, you know?” Waverly sighed, “Anyway, what a way to talk to someone for the first time, huh? I’m Waverly.” She stuck out her hand. Nicole chuckled and shook the hand she stuck out. 

“I know who you are, Waverly,” Nicole internally awed at Waverly’s yearn to treat everyone with more kindness than Nicole had ever seen. “We’ve gone to the same school for three years now.”

“Yeah, but we never really talked, and I didn’t want to be that snobby girl who just assumed everyone knew her. Oh, and I know you, too. Nicole. Nicole Haught.” She wore a prideful smile as she said Nicole’s name. She liked the way it sounded. 

“That’s me.” Nicole laughed lightly, enjoying people actually interacting with her with genuine kindness. It wasn’t often she got to experience that. The way her name sounded coming from Waverly made the kindness seem even better, like it was just a plus to Waverly saying her name. It replayed in her head over and over, and she'd prefer it to any song that's ever been stuck in her head. 

“Waverly! Come on!” Tucker Gardner was the one yelling this time. 

Nicole’s smile softened, “Sorry, again.”

“Don’t worry about that. I already forgot.” Waverly stood up, “It was nice meeting you, Nicole Haught.”  
  
“See you around, Waverly Earp.” Nicole let her hair cover her face before she was caught blushing at the sudden attention, especially since that attention was coming from her three-year long crush. 

Waverly’s cheeks were also tinted red as she walked away, unable to contain the smile on her face. No one really took the time to get to know Nicole, and Waverly was always stopped from doing so, but she saw tripping over Nicole’s foot as a sign to fall even harder for her. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t spent time eyeing Nicole when no one was looking. There was something about her that caught her eye, not to mention the inevitable charm that Nicole had when they spoke. Waverly felt her heart leap. If it took tripping over Nicole’s foot to talk with her, she’d do it a million times over.

 

-

 

The day, surprisingly, was crime-free. Nicole made it home free of any new bruises or injuries. She laid on her bed and suddenly she had burst into happy giggles, her cheeks red and eyes bright. She grabbed a pillow and put it over her face to muffle her giddy laughs of joy. Waverly Earp had talked to her. Not because she was Ultrared, because she was Nicole. The way Waverly said her name kept replaying in her head, making her even happier. And Waverly Earp said it was nice meeting her. For once, Nicole felt like a normal teenager, experiencing a teenage crush. She held onto the way her heart rate sped up every time she thought about the one and only Waverly Earp. The Waverly Earp who smiled at her and said it was nice meeting her. She felt like she should be lying stomach-down on her bed with a fuzzy pen and sparkly pink diary. 

_“Dear Diary,_

_Waverly Earp smiled at me today and knew my name and said it was nice to meet me. She also said my name, and it sounded lovely_.”

Nicole sighed as she took the pillow off her face, smiling wide up at the ceiling, her mind conjuring up every way that her and Waverly’s relationship could play out.

 

-

 

A three in the morning crime-call wasn’t exactly the type of wild night Nicole had always thought about. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes before looking at what was currently in store for her. 

FALSE ALARM. JUST A TEST. IGNORE.

Whoever was controlling these messages needed to send this out when it wasn’t three in the morning. Nicole threw her head back down on the pillow, but, of course, she didn’t get a wink of sleep after the false build up of adrenaline.

She arrived at school looking like a zombie. Somehow, her shoulder and sides hurt even worse, her hair curled in all different directions, and she was not very good at concealing her limp. She made her way to her locker and slid to the ground, making sure to keep her legs in this time. As much as she loved talking to Waverly, she didn’t need another mishap.

“Nicole!” Someone happily shouted. The redhead’s eyes shot upward, looking for the source of such a joyous call at so early in the morning. Of course, Waverly Earp was the only one to be so happy. Nicole furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to herself, just to be sure. 

“Yes, you, Haught,” Waverly laughed and hovered over Nicole’s slouched body, “You’re good at math, right?”

Nicole had a bit of trouble trying to form words. When she was just herself, she didn’t have the confidence Ultrared had. Ultrared could do anything. Ultrared wouldn’t become a choked up idiot in front of her crush. She would at least have the confidence to conjure up a sentence. 

“Umm, I guess so.” Nicole shrugged, her heart making its way up her throat, disabling her ability to speak any further. 

“Do you understand all of these matrices things?” Waverly understood them perfectly fine, but she knew Nicole’s strong suit was math, so she took the opportunity to at least talk to her. As Nicole formed a sentence in her head, Waverly slid down to sit next to her. 

“Well, there’s a lot that goes on with them,” Nicole chuckled, resting her head back against the lockers, “What is it you’re confused about? Adding, multiplying, or solving?”

Waverly picked the hardest, “Solving.” She knew it was pretty low to pretend to not understand something in order to get her crush to help her, but she couldn’t resist. At this point, she just needed an excuse to talk to Nicole up until she built up a friendship with her. 

“All I can show you is a pattern that I use. I’m not all that.” Nicole told her, suddenly questioning her skills even though she’d gotten all the homework problems right and aced the practice test. Her mind blanked, and all the could see now was a square full of numbers that meant nothing to her. 

“Sure you are,” Waverly playfully nudged her arm, and Nicole held back a wince, “Sorry. That was weird.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nicole shook her head, managing a smile, “Umm, come by during lunch, and I’ll try my best.” Nicole watched Waverly’s eyes light up.

“Awesome!” She smiled, “Where do you sit?”

“Right here,” Nicole gave a pathetic smile, disappointed that she had no one to sit with, and she sat by herself at her locker, with the exception of her two friends if they decided to actually join her. 

Waverly tried not to make it so obvious that she was giving Nicole a sympathetic smile, “Well, I will be here with you at lunch, and umm,” Waverly found herself nervously giggling, “Can I have your number?” Waverly furrowed her eyebrows, now realizing how blunt that sounded, “Just in case I have questions about the homework, of course.” 

Nicole held back a wide smile, but couldn’t do the same for her red cheeks. She nodded quickly, “Yeah, totally.”

Waverly smiled back and handed Nicole her phone after pulling up her contacts. Nicole noted that Waverly’s phone background was a picture of her and Wynonna, then her other one was a photo of her and a puppy. Nicole put in her number and watched as Waverly then put her name in with a smiley face next to her name. 

As the bell rang, Waverly stood up, “I’ll text you later, so you know it’s me.”

“Cool,” Nicole grabbed her things and threw her bag over her good shoulder, starting to walk to class. 

“See you around, Haught!” Waverly waved as they walked opposite ways down the hallway. Nicole smiled in response, happily striding to class and ignoring anything negative that could possibly be occurring with her. 

The school day passed smoothly, minus another faulty alert in the middle of math class. Nicole went home, still a bit on her toes, awaiting another false alarm as she drove home. She walked inside, threw her bag down, and nearly stumbled over at the third high-pitched beep in her ear today. She grimaced and doubled over, holding her ear.

“Stupid communication system!” She winced, having to hold on to the couch to keep her balance up.

“Let me guess, this one is a screw up t-” She managed to open her eyes and look forward.

INCIDENT: FIGHT

LOCATION: PURGATORY HIGH SCHOOL

WEAPON(S); POCKET KNIFE, OTHER NON-CLASSIFIED WEAPONRY

VICTIM: WAVERLY EARP

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter was shorter! the chapters will progressively get longer, don't worry :) also, thanks for all the support! it means so, so, SO much to me. and again, follow my twitter @wavstrixie if you want!


	3. saved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly gets caught in a fight between Champ and Tucker. The fight gets to a point where Ultrared has to stop it before someone gets severely hurt.

Nicole had never suited up quicker. Her heart felt like it was going to fall out her chest, she had an empty feeling in her stomach, but the adrenaline of fear made the suiting up process a bit quicker. The few tears in her suit hadn’t fully patched themselves up yet, but it didn’t matter, and Nicole wasn’t going to think about it. She didn’t even let her suit fully embody for her before she made a run for it outside, her getup completing itself while she was in the air, using all her power to get to the school as fast as possible. She watched the town disappear before her as she made her way to the school, landing on the ground before the doors. She burst through them, darting through the halls to find where the fight was taking place. She sprinted down the first hallway, taking twists and turns across the first floor. She then leaned against a wall, listening for the shouting coming from where her English class took place. She sped there as fast as her feet could take her, sliding across the floor with momentum as she brought herself to a stop.

Waverly was in the middle of Champ Hardy and Tucker Gardner, who seemed to be blind of her presence. Champ was the one who had the pocket knife, indiscriminately waving it around, dangerously close to Waverly’s face. The two were both throwing punches, there were papers and open notebooks scattered around the area, and not an adult or witness in sight. It was after hours, so the only people at school were those here for cheer practice or for any sports, which were held outside or in the gym.   
  
“Champ, stop!” Waverly cried, trying her best to split up the two of them. Neither of them reacted, they kept going at each other, the knife threatening all of them. Tucker was defending himself with a pencil, threatening to poke someone’s eye out or pierce them. They knew what they were instigating, but whatever they were fighting about seemed more important than someone being sent to the hospital. In fact, Ultrared was sure they might even want that.

Ultrared used all her strength to get in between them, suffering their kicks and punches along the way. She was temporarily able to shove them both away, which allowed her to gently move Waverly out the way. One moment she could break both the boys’ arms with the snap of her finger, and the next she was hesitant to even lay a hand on Waverly to move her out the way. Waverly took note of it, even in all the fear.

As the boys went back to relentlessly arguing and punching, Waverly was pulled back in. Ultrared placed herself in front of the smaller teenager and felt her blood boiling. She glued her feet to the floor, shot her arms outward, and grabbed both Champ and Tucker by their collars. Waverly held on to her from behind, cowering behind her back. Her hands were placed over the few rips in Ultrared’s suit, but the texture brought some sort of comfort to Waverly. It reminded her that this was real, and that she wasn’t going to die. For some reason, it grounded her. Just feeling Ultrared in front of her, in all her realness, brought comfort to Waverly.

The boys’ feet dangled above the floor, eventually causing them to give up on fighting back. 

“That’s what I thought.” Ultrared threw them both to the ground, but watching herself so she didn’t accidentally kill them. She was capable of much more strength than she was exhibiting, but she learned at a young age how to monitor how much force she put into the subject. She got on one knee and pressed a fist to the chest of either boy, sending a burning sensation down their spines from where her fist was placed. 

“Hand over the knife.” She ordered, her voice booming at them. Champ made a furious expression before throwing it, missing Ultrared and going towards Waverly. Before it hit her, the hero stopped it. The knife was just an inch from Waverly, stopped in mid air. Ultrared sighed with relief before eyeing it back down to the ground. 

Waverly stood pressed against the lockers, trying to catch her breath. She felt stuck there, not wanting to move in fear of something breaking out again. She couldn’t help but to feel like she caused the fight, even though she didn’t. She thought that maybe if she didn’t try to stop it, things would be better, but she quickly realized that someone would have gotten seriously hurt otherwise. Regardless, she felt guilty for being involved. She was never one to be in such a situation, a situation that was so close to going too south that a superhero had to swoop in and save her. 

“Waverly,” Ultrared turned and looked at her, “I need you to call someone.” 

Waverly couldn’t even move off the wall. She shook her head, tears pouring down her face, “I’m sorry,” She whispered, still barely able to breathe. 

Ultrared understood. If she was Nicole, she would probably do the same thing. So she nodded and looked back toward Champ and Tucker, huffing, “Looks like you’re all mine for now.” She felt proud of getting these two to the ground, unable to move from her grip. It filled her with pride. For years, she’d just wanted to take these two down, and now she finally did. It satisfied one of her little high school fantasies, beating up the people who once did the same to her. 

“Champ!” The football coach stormed in, face red with anger as he paced to the current predicament. 

“You’ve got them from here?” Ultrared started lifting herself up.

The coach nodded, “Thank you.” He grabbed the two boys and took them off.

Waverly knew Ultrared was quick to leave after all her savings, so she expected to be left to herself. Much to her relief, though, the superhero turned around, her entire disposition softening. Waverly felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders. She was surprisingly calm in front of her -now literal- hero. Something about her energy was familiar and calming. It was relieving to be around her. 

“Are you alright?” Ultrared asked, trying to keep up her hero posture and not let Nicole’s habits take over. 

Waverly nodded as she looked up at her, “Thank you.”

“It’s my job,” Ultrared shrugged and bent down, starting to help clean up the scattered papers and school supplies. She gathered up a few pencils, smiling softly at Waverly as she bent down as well to help. Ultrared started gathering papers, seeing extremely well-done drawings of… well… her. She smiled as she picked one up. It had Waverly’s initials at the bottom, and in fancy letters, “ULTRARED” was written across the top. 

“Sorry about that.” Waverly gathered the drawings that Ultrared wasn’t holding. 

“This is incredible, you know.” Ultared’s smile grew larger. Waverly was hiding such an amazing talent. The drawings that passed Ultrared’s eyes would’ve made Nicole speechless. Had it not been for her consciousness of her identity, she wouldn’t be able to find the words to continue. “Mind if I keep one?” She held up the drawing in her hand.

Waverly blushed madly as she nodded, “Go ahead, and, umm,” She reached out and gave Ultrared a tight hug, “Thank you, again. Someone probably would’ve died eventually.” 

Ultrared hesitantly hugged Waverly back. Her grip was loose on the small girl, unlike Waverly’s, which was tight and secure. Ultared soaked up every second of the hug, not ever wanting to let go. It was nice to have the comfort of Waverly after dealing with Champ and Tucker. It was everything she needed right now. 

Waverly was first to part away, “Sorry, again.” She packed all the things back into her backpack, suddenly nervous now that she remembered the drawings were all over the floor. 

“Don’t worry. It’s not often that I get hugs on the job.” Ultrared chuckled as she stood up, “Stay safe, Waverly Earp. See you around.”

 

-

 

Waverly didn’t go to school the next day. One, she’d barely slept a wink. Two, she was in shock over the previous day’s events. So, instead of going to school to have to face anyone, to have to embarrass herself, or any other nightmare scenario she could come up with, she stayed home with her sister, Wynonna. 

“You alright, Waverly?” Wynonna peeked in Waverly’s room, checking up on her little sister. 

Waverly shrugged, “Just enjoying my day off.”  
  
“Good choice. That Ultrared is hot stuff, huh?” Wynonna tried to make banter with Waverly, just doing something to make her laugh, “Nothing I couldn’t do, though.” Wynonna cared immensely about Waverly, but it was sometimes hard for her to convey just how much she loved her. Waverly knew that Wynonna used humor as a way to show she cared, and she definitely got the message.

“Sure, Wynonna. And yes she is.” Waverly scoffed, then looking back at the homework she was doing for tonight. 

“Well, call me if you need, alright?” 

Waverly nodded, “Of course.”

Wynonna gave her a quick smile before exiting, leaving Waverly to herself again. Pondering for a moment, she picked up her phone and searched for Nicole’s name in her contacts, then typing out a text.

_WAVERLY: hey, sorry to text you in the middle of class, but it’s me, waverly :)_

Nicole felt her phone buzz in her pocket and stealthily hid it in her lap, seeing a number she didn’t recognize on her screen. Reading the message, though, she smiled, hoping not to be caught by anyone. 

_NICOLE: no worries, i’m reeaaalllyyyy bored. are you alright? i left my foot out for you to trip over this morning._

Nicole found herself adopting more confident qualities. Every life she saved felt like she earned more confidence points, and she was so proud of that. Even if she was the only one to be proud of herself, Ultrared was teaching her to appreciate her own achievements. 

Waverly chuckled to herself, her cheeks pink at the quick text back. 

_WAVERLY: what a shame! and yes, i’m alright, just taking a chill pill._

_NICOLE: i heard what happened yesterday. champ and tucker are dickheads, and in case you didn’t get the update, they’re both suspended for 10 days. woohoo!_

_WAVERLY: best news i’ve heard in awhile. and i will definitely be back to trip over your foot tomorrow morning._

_NICOLE: good to hear. you’re not hurt, are you?_

_WAVERLY: a few scratches, maybe a bruise or two, but nothing major. still can’t believe a superhero was RIGHT THERE. not really the way i imagined meeting her, but she’s lovely. huge muscles._

_NICOLE: hot._

Nicole was never one to compliment herself, but in this situation, it was kind of necessary. She can’t say she didn’t enjoy the confidence it gave her, though. It made her think, just for a moment, that maybe her muscles were a plus. Waverly seemed to like them. 

_WAVERLY: very hot, indeed. even helped me pick up my things._

_NICOLE: just to let you know, if i was there, i would have totally punched those kids’ lights out._

_WAVERLY: i’m sure you would, haught._

_NICOLE: well, i’ve got to switch classes, and you just happen to be missing out on this awesome math test coming up! rest up, earp._

_WAVERLY: will do, haught. see you tomorrow <3_

_NICOLE: see ya :)_

Nicole packed up her things and threw her bag on her back. She couldn’t contain the smile on her face as she thought of Waverly Earp calling her hot. Granted, she didn’t know it was her, but she thought Ultrared was hot, and that was enough. Nicole was radiating confidence. According to Waverly, she had huge muscles, was lovely, and was “very hot,” which are all compliments Nicole never received, but could get used to. Waverly also hugged her. On the job. She was used to thank you’s, but Waverly’s inability to resist showing her thanks by hugging her was the most endearing thing she’d ever done.

She could still feel the security of Waverly’s arms around her, the feeling of being completely safe, of being wanted. Not to mention how brilliant it made her feel to see all the drawings that Waverly had done of her. She never knew Waverly could draw so beautifully, but it’s not like she could mention it to her.

Waverly was all smiles as she laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, her heart leaping out her chest. She felt the warmest feeling when she talked to Nicole, like for once, she wasn’t held up to any expectations. Nicole seemed to look at her like a normal person, which is all she could ever imagine. She always felt like she had so many people to please, so many expectations to reach, and a person to be for everyone she encountered. But with Nicole, she felt absolutely free.

When she read books about someone falling in love, she thought it was all a lie. No one could ever really feel that way. It was stupid to stumble over your words, or feel different around someone just because they’re pretty. Now, though, she understood. She felt everything she read about plus more. It was stereotypical and cheesy, but it was the best thing she had ever experienced.

Every morning, Waverly anticipated seeing Nicole sitting by her locker, who now sat with her feet pulled in. Every morning, Waverly would tell her friends she would meet them elsewhere, then just ditched them so she could hang out with Nicole. 

“Hey.” She sat down next to the redhead the next morning, facing her body towards her. 

“Hey,” Nicole put the Rubik’s Cube away after solving its last bit, “You’re back.” She smiled and felt herself start to get nervous, knowing she was about to have a good bit of trouble forming some sentences. 

“Better than ever.” Waverly giggled for no apparent reason except for the fact that her and Nicole were sitting closer than usual, and she was giddy about it. She liked the butterflies that swarmed when Nicole as little as looked at her. She loved knowing that these feelings were just waiting to be acted upon, and now her and her feelings were getting everything they wanted.

“Can I ask you something?” Nicole fiddled with her fingers, no longer having the Rubik’s Cube to fidget with.

Waverly felt every muscle tighten, “Yeah, of course.”

Nicole let down one of her many guards, “Why don’t your friends murder me for talking to you?” 

“Nicole,” Waverly shook her head, “They don’t hate you. The two that disliked you got suspended, and they don’t control who I hang out with. It’s none of their business, and I don’t care if they have something to say about it. I-” Waverly took a breath, “I like spending time with you, anyway.”

Nicole was in awe of how defensive Waverly got over her. She felt her whole face heat up, her cheeks and the tips of her ears going red, matching her hair. Nicole’s smile grew as she admired Waverly staring at her, finally getting out a breathless, “Wow.”

“What?” Waverly chuckled, her eyes taking the opportunity to glance at Nicole’s lips, then meeting her eyes again as she looked up. 

“You’re so grounded,” Nicole said, “Or some other word that I can’t think of. I wish I was like that.”

“Trust me, I’m not. And you are, Nicole. You just express it in different ways.”

Nicole liked the excessive use of her name that Waverly was throwing into her sentences. It made her feel known. The only names she’d really been called at school were condescending, or the occasional slurs from Champ. Waverly said her name, though. She said it with importance. Sometimes she questioned if people even knew her name, and nothing ever clarified that they did. But Waverly knew her name. Waverly could say it a billion times, and it’d still make her heart pound a million beats per minute, and the sentences in her head jumble themselves up into a tornado of words. 

“Thanks,” Nicole smiled softly, her dimple sinking in her cheek causing Waverly to bite her lip, having quite a few emotions in relation to it. “Can I ask you something else?”

Waverly nodded. 

“I enjoy talking with you so much, Waverly, but you have friends. Why are you hanging out with me?” Nicole couldn’t just accept that Waverly Earp wanted to talk to her. She didn’t see herself as entertaining or interesting enough for someone to genuinely want to talk to. Plus, she had so many rumors about why no one hung out with her, and she didn’t trust that someone was able to look past all of that. 

“Because I like you, and I think people are stupid.” 

Nicole cocked her head to the side adorably; she had a confused smile on her face. 

“Look,” Waverly tried to get her thoughts in order, “You are so cool, Haught. I’m mad that people have made you this person in their heads without getting to know you. And maybe I don’t know all of you, but who I’m seeing and getting to know now, I like that person, and I think everyone is wrong about them.” She let out a breath that she wasn’t aware she was holding. With that exhale came the most sincere smile, with giving eyes to go along with it. 

Nicole felt herself falling deeper and deeper into Waverly’s gaze, not knowing how to reciprocate the compliment. It took her quite a few long moments to string together the words in her head to make a comprehensible, awestruck sentence, “You’re pretty cool, too, Earp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you're enjoying the story so far! also, if it wasn't obvious, i have no idea how to work ao3. i'm having a hard time lol. and as always you can follow my twitter (and ig, where i post my art), @draghaught :)


	4. talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole get to know each other better.

Waverly awoke to her 6:00 alarm from an ungodly dream about a certain redhead. She sat up and turned off her alarm, out of breath, but impressed nonetheless. Never before had she dreamed of something like that, or dreamed so vividly before. She held onto it before it slipped away, replaying the highlights, which might as well have been the whole dream. She felt her entire body go weak, but if she stayed in bed any longer, she would most certainly be late for school. She got up, nearly stumbling over, and found herself choosing an outfit that may or may not have been inspired by Nicole. She threw on a pair of high waisted jeans and converse with a flannel, contrary to her usual cheer outfit, skirt, or Nikes. She smiled at herself in the mirror, threw her bag over her shoulder, and grabbed a Poptart to eat on the way to school.

Upon arriving, she skipped in, excited to sit next to Nicole again, but finding herself disappointed when the redhead wasn’t there. She frowned and sat anyway, hoping she was just running later than usual. Waverly was at school about thirty minutes before class started, so maybe Nicole was just on her way. She sat to the right of Nicole’s locker, realizing she’d memorized what number it was, and how much space to leave for Nicole in order for them to be in their now usual spots. She’s become adapt to their mornings in just a short amount of time. Nicole was able to captivate her so much, make her feel so much in just a few weeks than she was ever able to feel before.

Nicole was driving with her non-dominant side, suffering an injury to her right leg from the glorious world of street fights. She was moving a bit slower that morning, having trouble covering up her scratches and bruises. The foundation she bought just for covering herself up was a bit difficult to get the hang of at first, and she found herself watching tutorials on how to cover up hickies. That wasn’t her situation, but it was similar enough for her to figure something out, leaving her with a bruise free face.

Waverly’s hypothesis was, thankfully, correct about Nicole just running a bit late. She walked in about five minutes later with a noticeable limp and small scrape on her cheek (she couldn’t find tutorials to cover that up). She was so focused on trying not to provoke more pain that she didn’t see that Waverly was waiting for her, a look of concern on her face. Waverly hated the image of Nicole being in pain; she just wanted her to have the best life, and not suffer any more than she clearly already had. Waverly may not know Nicole fully, but she can tell she’s built a wall around herself that Waverly was dying to get into. She knows of Nicole’s suffering to an extent, only having knowledge of what happens at school. Just a few weeks ago, Champ had called- or attempted to call- Nicole a ‘dyke’, which twisted Waverly’s insides. Nicole, on the other hand, was used to it, which only made the situation more poignant. 

“Hey, you waited for me,” Nicole sat down next to Waverly, smiling as she set her things down. She never had someone wait for her, or even sit and talk with her like Waverly. Her ‘friends’ would stop and wave as they walked down the hallway, but she could tell they no longer considered her a part of the group. The only reason Nicole called them friends was so that she felt like she had something to hold on to. In reality, the friendship ended a long time ago, she just couldn’t bare to admit it to herself that she was truly alone now.

“Are you alright?” Waverly asked. 

Nicole nodded, “All good.” She wasn’t really ‘all good’, of course, but talking to Waverly, seeing that Waverly had waited for her, made it seem like everything was. 

“What happened?”

Nicole bit her lip as she thought back to three in the morning, breaking up a street fight and taking a bottle to the cheek and a few punches and kicks along the way. “I have a dog, and we were playing around, and I stumbled over.” 

“Pretty hard, huh?” Waverly gently held Nicole’s face in one hand, examining her bruised and scraped cheek. She got butterflies being so close, but her concern for others took over before she could realize she was less than a few inches away from the girl she was falling harder and harder for. She had a pout on her face as she looked over the scrape.

Nicole reluctantly pulled herself away before Waverly got too curious, “We were on a walk. She started to run, and the leash got all tangled up, and then all of a sudden, I’m on the ground,” Nicole lied with a chuckle. She wished for Waverly’s soft touch again, but she knew if she looked too long, she’d know she was lying. 

“I’m sorry, Nicole,” Waverly rubbed her shoulder, “And I’m also sorry that I’m picturing a tiny dog pulling you to the ground.”

“Hey!” Nicole laughed, “Cleo isn’t tiny. She’s a very medium pitbull.”

“Awww, I want to meet her!” Waverly cooed. The thought of an adorable Nicole and an adorable pitbull running around made her heart flutter, and she’d do anything to see it for herself. She could just picture Nicole with that dimpled smile, sitting and scratching behind Cleo’s ears, then emitting that heavenly giggle that made Waverly just want to attack her in hugs and kisses and everything nice. 

“You can sometime. Swear.” Nicole smiled; she knew Waverly was the type of person to look past the stereotypes. Not only was Nicole now a normal person, but her pitbull was a normal dog, too, and Waverly didn’t make any assumptions based on other people’s judgements. 

“I’ll be waiting for my dream to come true, Haught.” Waverly told her, “Also, I have a question.”

“I might have an answer,” Nicole replied. 

Waverly fell for yet another side of Nicole. She loved that she was sarcastic, but it wasn’t mean. She loved that she knew Nicole always had the kindest intentions in whatever she did. “So… my birthday is next week, and I’m having a party on that Saturday, the eighth. Do you think you could come?” She chewed on her lip, hoping that Nicole would come to her party despite being a very obvious non-party person. 

Nicole felt that giddy teenager feeling again. Waverly Earp invited her to a party. She nodded before she could even think of a sentence in response, “D-definitely. I’ll be there. What time, and what’s the dress code?” Of her little knowledge of parties based off movies, she knew that sometimes jeans and a t-shirt meant being underdressed. She didn’t like to dress up, but she supposed she would for Waverly. 

“It starts at 6 and ends at 11. The dress code is whatever you want.” Waverly felt a growing excitement as she saw how adrenalized Nicole got. She was going to be the death of her. Those honest brown eyes gazing at her gave her the most exciting of thoughts, thoughts of everything she could do if those brown eyes were hers. 

“Awesome. You’ll be 18, right?” Nicole knew Waverly was just a few short months older than her, but she wanted to be absolutely certain that she hadn’t somehow missed a year. 

“The big one-eight. Yep.” Waverly said, “But it’s not a big deal, like other people make it. It’s just a party, and I’m sure most people won’t even know it’s for my birthday.” It was the it-girl throwing a party. People were going to come for booze, and forget all about her. She was fine with it, though, as long as Nicole was there. 

“Cool.” Nicole pictured it. The thought made her more nervous than words could explain, but if Waverly was there, and Waverly wanted her to go, she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Not only had she never really attended a party before, but this one just happened to be for her favorite person. The person that made her insides jump and her head spin.

“Well,” Waverly got up as the bell rang, then helped Nicole up, “I’ll see you in English, Haught. Do you need help with your things?”

“I’m alright. Thanks, though. See ya, Earp.”

 

-

 

Waverly smiled at the back of Nicole’s head in English, now noticing that her drawing of Ultrared had turned into one of Nicole. She hadn’t noticed she was drawing Ultrared without a mask or a suit, and instead with a red flannel and ripped jeans. She looked back down at her paper and her cheeks went red as she quickly shoved the paper into her notebook. She’d never been the person to doodle about their crush, or write their names together inside hearts, but her brain had different plans. She doesn’t know how she managed to draw Nicole when her intention was to draw a very intricately-suited superhero.

In some way, though, Nicole was like a hero to Waverly. Something about the redhead’s presence just made Waverly feel like she was on top of the world, while simultaneously being nervous to speak to the person that made her feel that way. She admired Nicole’s ability to stay herself despite everyone else’s way of treating her.

Nicole was at least able to make it _seem_ like she was sure of herself, and comfortable in her own skin, but she was still a mess of a teenager trying to figure herself out. She had two identities to figure out, which was too much to handle for one person. However, she knew one thing for certain about both identities: Waverly Earp had them both wrapped around her finger. Ultrared resisted running off after her job was done just to get a few more moments with Waverly. She stayed and got to see Waverly’s incredible drawings, got to feel Waverly’s arms around her.

Nicole could feel the warm stare of Waverly behind her, so she slowly turned her head, giving Waverly a small, dimpled smile.

Nicole turning caught Waverly off guard, so by the time the redhead looked at her, she had jumped out her skin, somehow settling herself enough to give a nervous wave back to Nicole’s smile. Nicole chuckled quietly as she turned back around, loving how dorky and adorable Waverly was. She slouched back in her chair and lightly tapped her pencil on her notebook, focusing hard on trying to wipe the grin off her face.

Waverly was wide-eyed back at her desk as she tried to settled herself and all the thoughts that snuck their way into her head at the sight of that sly smile of Nicole. She bit her lip and was conscious that she was staring, but she couldn’t stop. Though she sat in the back of the class, she didn’t care if anyone was looking back at her. Her thoughts were much too far ahead of her to do anything about it. She loved the rush Nicole gave her, but she hated the unquenchable feeling of wanting to feel Nicole’s touch, in more ways than one.

It was a blessing that Nicole hadn’t been given the power of mind reading, otherwise she and Waverly would be locked in the janitor’s closet, satisfying those teenage fantasies and doing all the things they wanted to do. According to Nicole’s telepathy-deficient mind, though, Waverly was just looking out for the underdog, being the most utterly amazing person that anyone would be lucky to be around. She would probably get to know Nicole, then go off to meet someone else, not that she seemed like that type of person, but Nicole couldn’t help but let her mind drift to the negative possibilities of things.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of English, Waverly caught up with Nicole as they made their way to their new routine spot for lunch. Today Waverly sat a bit closer than usual, her shoulder barely touching Nicole’s. 

“Do you have any other pets?” Waverly asked, trying to get Nicole to show her a few pictures, preferably with the redhead in them. 

“I have a cat, but she’s really selective.” Nicole replied, just knowing that Calamity Jane would love Waverly instantaneously despite being picky with essentially everyone except her. 

“What’s she look like?” Waverly asked, desperate to have some pictures of Nicole and cute animals to fill her mind. 

“She’s orange, with a bit of white, and really, really fluffy.” Nicole had Calamity Jane since she was ten, and the orange fluff-ball had become the most important thing to her. If everything was changing around her, and no one was there to help her, Calamity Jane would sit atop Nicole’s chest, comforting her as much as she needed and more. 

“Do you have any pictures?” Waverly was far too desperate to pry at Nicole showing her pictures. The thought of the ever-so tough Nicole with some adorable animals made her melt into a puddle, and she craved to see it for herself. It was for the sake of her heart, anyway. The heart wants what it wants. 

Nicole smiled as she took her phone out her pocket, “Sure.” She went to her camera roll, where Waverly was able to catch glimpses of different pictures Nicole had taken and saved here and there, a lot of the sunset, a few actresses, and a few funny posts.

“This is Calamity Jane,” Nicole showed Waverly a picture of her with the cat sat in her lap, enjoying how Nicole was petting it. It was a picture her parents had taken a few weeks ago. 

Waverly was sure she had the most obvious heart-eyes as she fell in love with the photo, finally seeing a bit of a softer side of Nicole, finally seeing her walls come down a bit.

Maybe Nicole really didn’t have walls at all, she had just never had the type of interaction that bloomed into a friendship. Granted, she was very much crushing on the other half of the blooming friendship, and she wanted to be cautious. However, it may have not been an overflow of walls, but more of a cautiousness of time, a need to take things slow before they slip right out her grip. 

“This is Cleo,” Nicole showed Waverly another picture that she was in. It was a picture Nicole had taken of herself laying in bed with Cleo, a shining gray pitbull, laid half on her, her face resting on Nicole’s chest. “She _loves_ attention. Pitbulls are actually really family oriented; they don’t like to be alone.” It was true, about pitbulls, and that’s what made Nicole and Cleo so compatible. They both hated that cold feeling of being alone, so they were always there to be each other’s company.

Waverly watched intently as Nicole explained a few more photos; she took note of how Nicole’s eyes lit up when she saw how Waverly would awe over a photo. She noticed how happy Nicole was, explaining her love for something. Nicole had never really talked about anything she was into, or loved, but now that Waverly saw things that made Nicole exert a happy brightness, Waverly couldn’t have been more infatuated with the girl she was now sitting even closer to.

Nicole looked up at Waverly, eyes softening and lips curving into a smile. Waverly smiled back with the same tenderness, watching as Nicole’s dimple sunk into her cheek.  She took a quick glance at Nicole’s lips as she gazed her way up the redhead’s face, finally locking eyes with each other.

Nicole bit her lip and slipped into a trance, feeling completely fine with sitting here forever. Once she realized there was a world around her, though, she jumped and looked away, feeling a pulse of energy throughout her body. She looked down at her hands, seeing a blue glow from where the pulse was. She quickly reached into her bag, just trying to conceal her hands until she didn’t feel the energy anymore. She had never lost control of her power since she was about eleven, and now wasn’t the time to be dealing with that again. 

“Are you alright?” Waverly asked, now scared that she’d freaked Nicole out if she asked any more questions about her well-being. 

“I’m fine,” Nicole lied, “Just… cold.” The position she was in hurt her shoulder even more, but she still felt the energy rushing around her body. She tried to calm down, let her body know that she wasn’t in danger, but her brain recognized her adrenaline levels to match those of when she needed to suit up; her being scared of the energy certainly didn’t help. She would definitely need to talk to someone about getting a button, or something to make this easier if it ever happened again, which she’s sure it would.

Waverly knew that she did something wrong. Maybe she sat too close, stared too long, pried too much. She moved herself a few inches away, not exactly knowing what to do, and especially not knowing what was even going on. Nicole wasn’t just cold. She was wearing a flannel and jeans, and they were sitting right up next to each other. As much as she wanted to run away, though, she didn’t want to leave Nicole alone while she struggled for whatever reason.

It was Waverly’s fault, but it wasn’t a bad thing that she made Nicole feel this way. Nicole liked the nervous, lustful feeling; it was the after-effects of it that she didn’t enjoy. If this was the consequence for getting to gaze into Waverly’s eyes, though, she would still do it over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the chapter! i dont really have much else to say but i changed by @ on here and twitter and insta to draghaught :) follow me if you desire


	5. party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly formally invites Nicole to her birthday party, and Nicole succesfully attends her first 'high school party.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating wednesday! i'm on vacation and it just slipped my mind lol

Nicole now had a necklace to control when she would, more or less, become Ultrared. She hid it under the shirts she wore, careful not to accidentally press it. It was risky to have it, hence why she hadn’t had it before, but it was even more risky to have little to no control over it previously. She’d much rather the necklace to glowing blue every time she spoke to Waverly.

Though the necklace solved a lot of problems (some that Nicole hadn’t even realized were problems until they weren’t occurring), when Nicole got so extremely happy and nervous around Waverly, she would emit a glow that the necklace just couldn’t absorb. It was noticeable if you studied her, but, to her advantage, it wasn’t blue or easily able to catch an eye.

The feeling of the glow was more prominent to Nicole with each time her and Waverly interacted, even if it was just a smile in the hallway, or a soft glance at each other in class. Each morning when Waverly sat next to her for those twenty minutes before class, she felt happier than she ever had before. She felt secure; she felt important. Inevitably, though, was the crushing feeling that it was all going to end far too soon.

Nothing in Nicole’s life was permanent. She moved cities when she was three and seven, and it shocked her that she had been living in Purgatory for a whole eleven years. Everything she loved got taken from her, and she was painfully used to having to drop everything and change her life around as soon as she was given the word to. Sometimes she felt herself getting too comfortable in Purgatory, especially since Waverly had changed her life for the better, for once. The happiness she experienced was always battled with the lingering thought that Waverly was going to leave her, so she tried her hardest to enjoy every moment appreciating it without getting too adjusted.

Unsurprisingly, though she tried to distance herself, Nicole felt at home around Waverly. Waverly was comfortability, security, solacement. She was the world that Nicole finally found a place in, the one place that if everything changed, she’d just want that to remain the same.

Waverly also tried to suppress that feeling of stability around Nicole. Life moved much too fast, and she felt like she couldn’t keep up. She felt like she was running and running, just trying to catch a grip, but everything was just slipping away. She would run as fast as she could only to fall while life blew past her, and she could barely catch a single glimpse.

With Nicole, though, she felt like things might actually be the way they should be. She felt like she could breathe, and life would settle around her, everything falling into place.

Nicole walked into school, bag slugging off one shoulder, converse scuffing the floor as she walked, still having the remains of a limp. She got to her locker and saw a sticky note on it. Her eyes scanned over it and with the lovely word written on it, she knew Champ and Tucker were back in school from their suspension. She ripped it off, feeling the anger boil, but she was able to quickly let it subside. 

“Hey!” A familiar chirpy voice sounded from behind her. She quickly crumbled the note and turned around, a smile on her face. 

“Hey,” She felt the paper poking in her hand and she clenched her fist, still trying to not feel the anger. The two girls sat down together and Waverly pulled out an envelope, “I know I already invited you, but here’s a formal invitation. And yeah, I know it’s kind of dorky that I’m nearly eighteen and still handing out birthday invitations, but—“

“It’s fine,” Nicole chuckled, “I appreciate it.” She took the envelope and opened it, Waverly watching intently with her bottom lip between her teeth. Waverly only made one invitation, and it was meant just for Nicole. Everyone else received word from another person, or was shot a text, but Waverly wanted to make something special for Nicole. 

The invitation was lavender and had a few sparkles on it, along with a unicorn in the bottom right corner. It had all the details in a very Waverly font, which made Nicole so inexplicably happy for some reason. 

“I will now most definitely be there,” Nicole smiled at Waverly, who was impatiently waiting for a comment. 

Waverly exhaled with a smile matching Nicole’s, “Cool. I’m glad.” She couldn’t contain the nervous excitement of knowing Nicole Haught would be at her house, at _her_ party. It seemed unreal. She’d been crushing on the redhead for a while -- hell, she realized she liked girls because of her. Now that they’re what she would consider friends, it was like she didn’t know what to do with herself. She just wanted to sit and stare forever. 

“Is it a lot of people?” Nicole asked. 

“At this point, I have no idea. I invited a fair amount, but who knows who spread it to who.” Waverly felt her chest tighten, hoping that wouldn’t change Nicole’s mind on coming or not. 

“Well, I’m positive that I am not friends with anyone going, so I hope it’s okay if I hang by you,” Nicole had a flirtatious look in her eyes that Waverly definitely had a few thoughts about. _God_ , she was charming. 

“I’d love that-- like that. I mean-- yeah. It’s fine.” Waverly was too distracted by Nicole’s dimple to string together the words in her head, to differentiate between the thoughts that should be kept in, and the ones that were fine to come out. 

“So, if the dress code is whatever, I can wear pajamas, right?” Nicole joked, carefully slipping the invitation back into the envelope. 

“Well, I hope you don’t wear the same ones I was planning on wearing.” Waverly teased back, trying to seem cool for once. She always felt so weak at the knees under Nicole’s overflowing amount of charm, and she wanted to prove to herself (and Nicole) that she wasn’t completely and utterly whipped. But, of course, she was. 

Nicole enjoyed the comeback, feeling like Waverly was loosening up a bit, “I guess we’ll have to find out, huh?”

“We sure will.”

 

-

 

Nicole looked over her outfit one last time before she decided she looked okay. She was decidedly not wearing pajamas, but instead an outfit that wasn’t too over-dressy for her. She had actually put on a choker to dress herself up a bit more, and she definitely adjusted it one too many times, and was not happy that it wasn’t in the exact place and position she wanted it to be in. She’d cuffed and re-cuffed her jeans a million times until they were the perfect size and perfectly even.

She grabbed her phone and bag, starting to make her way out the house. 

“Where are you off to?” Her father asked, not used to seeing Nicole leave the house for any reason except to go to school. She was never the social type, but he was happy she might actually be going somewhere. 

“A friend’s party.” She answered proudly, getting a flutter in her stomach that made her sparkle just a bit.

Nicole’s father was surprised at both the words ‘friend’ and ‘party’, in the least offensive way possible. He had seen Nicole live her life in isolation, and he felt proud to know that she was getting out there and living the normal teenage life that she should be living. He had also seen her get hurt and left out far too many times, so as proud as he was, he was still left praying that she’d found someone true this time. “Have fun, kid. If you drink, please don’t drive. And… don’t worry about a curfew, but please, for the sake of your mother and I’s sanity, don’t stay out too late.”

“I won’t drink, and I’ll be home by… one, tops. Thanks, Dad.” Nicole could feel that her dad was happy for her, which had always been her aim in life- to make her parents proud, even if it was just because of little things. She gave him a smile before walking out the door and to her car.

 

-

 

About thirty people had already arrived at Waverly’s party, and it was only about ten minutes past the start time. Waverly knew that wasn’t all. She was certain of that because a certain redhead still hadn’t shown up.

Waverly was socializing, also drinking a bit here and there thanks to the people who decided to bring alcohol. She wasn’t even close to tipsy yet, though. She definitely didn’t want Nicole to get here and have to greet her while she was drunk.

She danced with her friends for a few minutes as more people showed up. The music was already blasting, and some people had shown up drunk, so she knew she was in for a wild night. A part of her greatly regretted even throwing a party, when most of her ‘friends’ she was starting to dislike. She never realized how unkind they were until someone actually gave her the friendship she deserved. _Someone_ who hasn’t shown up yet.

She walked over to the counter of drinks and downed a cup, wincing at the burn that went down her throat with it. She thought alcohol was bitter, but it was her eighteenth. She wasn’t having the greatest time, so she could at least get drunk enough to forget it ever happened.

She ended up drinking enough to get tipsy and live a little more, but not enough to lose control of her actions, or do something too stupid that she would regret. She stood again with her friends, repeatedly looking at the door, hoping to see familiar red hair walk through.

Nicole had to pick up Waverly’s present on the way, and she also didn’t want to be embarrassingly early. When she did pull up to Waverly’s, though, she sat in the car for a moment, getting her gift together. She stuck it in a small purple gift bag with white tissue paper and a birthday card with a unicorn on it (one that she took quite a few minutes to pick out).

She held it and her own bag, took a breath, and stepped out her car, walking toward the door. She already heard music pounding, so she didn’t bother knocking though the gentlewoman in her begged her to. She walked in slowly, closing the door behind her. She scanned the room for Waverly, but the brunette found her first.

“Nicole!” She ran up to her, “You came.”

“Of course I did. Sorry I’m late, I got you this.” She handed Waverly the gift bag. Waverly nearly confessed her feelings right there. Of course Nicole would be the only one of this entire party to bring her a gift on her _birthday_ . Of course she thought of her. Of course Waverly melted. 

“Nicole,” Waverly smiled at the gift, “You are the absolute best. Thank you so much. I’m going to open it now,” She chuckled and took out the card, reading it with a smile. “You are incredible, Haught.” She continued to open the gift, pulling out a small box. She pried it open to find a necklace with a wave on it. It was silver, and she couldn’t be more in love with it. 

“Waves. Like Waverly.” Nicole said, hoping she’d get it. 

Waverly smiled wider than she’d ever had, and her cheeks were flushing bright pink, “Thank you so fricken much, Nicole.” 

“There’s one more thing, just a little thing.” Nicole watched Waverly pull out a Rubik’s Cube. “You told me that you wished you could solve one, so I thought I could teach you. Sorry if that’s weird, or--”

“Nicole, I love it.” Waverly felt overcome with adoration, “I’m going to put this in my room, but first, could you put this on me?” She held up the necklace.

Nicole nodded happily, “Yeah.” She took the necklace as Waverly turned around. She gently brushed her hair to the side and brought the necklace around her neck. Her hands shook, and she could see them sparkling just a bit, which made her shake even more. She felt the warmth of where her fingers barely brushed against Waverly’s neck, and the sparks that her heart craved to replicate over and over again. She brought the two ends together and brought Waverly’s hair back into place.

Waverly wished to have Nicole’s hands running through her hair again, and she already missed the tingly feeling that was barely subsiding now as she turned to smile at Nicole again. She looked deep into Nicole’s eyes, almost not speaking at all until she realized she probably should say something. “Thank you, again. It means a lot.”

“My pleasure.” Nicole replied, dying to hold a stare again like they just had.  
  
“I’m going to put this in my room,” Waverly started to back away, “And you can come, too, if you want.” She turned and hid the nervous smile on her face, excited that she would have Nicole in her room. She felt the last bit of alcohol getting to her as she entered her room, Nicole following behind and quietly closing the door behind them, just like it had been before.

She looked around, taking in as much as she could. There were books on a small shelf, all carefully placed in a line. There were a few family photos around the room, a few drawings on a desk, and a couple of movie tickets and polaroids sitting on the shelf with the books. Above her bed were fairly lights, which really couldn’t be any more Waverly.

Nicole felt at home, yet she tried to push the feeling down. This room was just like Waverly, and made Nicole feel the comfortability she felt when she was around Waverly. She was now away from all the music, all the people, and with the one person she felt like she could really trust.

Waverly saw Nicole looking around, but didn’t interrupt for the time it lasted. She liked when she could just look at her, and she looked particularly cute when she was curious and observant. Waverly stepped away from where she placed the gift and walked up to Nicole, who looked back at her with soft eyes. Waverly felt herself not being able to resist her feelings any longer. She really understood now why they called it liquid courage.

She kept looking at Nicole, who kept looking at her, as well. Neither of them wanted to look away, nor did they even try to. They gazed, not saying a word. Waverly, not only looking into Nicole’s eyes, studied every bit of her face, taking in all the beauty that it held. Nicole tried to take in the feeling of Waverly right in front of her, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time they stood like they are now. 

“Nicole?” Waverly said softly, eyes travelling back up to meet the redhead’s, hands lightly placed on Nicole’s arms.

“Yeah?” Nicole replied with the same softness, like if she spoke too loud she would ruin everything that had just been built up. 

“I-I think I’m going to kiss you.” Waverly felt the liquid courage, not realizing how much she’d actually drank until she felt herself not able to resist Nicole any longer. She’d liked her for four years now, and who knew all it took to confess was a bit of alcohol.

Nicole stood in shock, not being able to form the words to respond with before Waverly’s arms were around her neck and their lips were pressed together.

It took Nicole a second, but she kissed back gently, not wanting to ruin the delicate moment. Her skin glowed, and it was a blessing that Waverly’s eyes were closed, otherwise she would be looking at Nicole’s sparkling skin, bright with happiness and butterflies. She let herself place her hands on Waverly’s hips as they continued to kiss. If they split apart, it was only for air, and they didn’t even open their eyes in between.

Waverly felt like all her dreams had come true. All her life had led to her finally having the guts to do something _she_ wanted to do. Everything fell into place, and she wasn’t going to deny that now.

Nicole had trouble not letting her smile ruin the kiss. It was ethereal.

It was so perfect that something had to go wrong because the universe wouldn’t let Nicole have her perfect moment. She knew deep down that wasn’t how things worked. She felt the familiar sting in her ear as she heard the high-pitched signal. Scaring her, she jumped away, “I-” She studied Waverly’s face and took in the last of the moment, “I have to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't hate me lol.


	6. freak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly both suffer the consequences of the previous night.

She hated herself. She _hated_ herself.

Everything was ruined. Nicole could barely think straight while combating a car accident just waiting to happen, trying to keep the cars from colliding. She was so out of focus. All she could think of was that she ruined her and Waverly’s kiss, their _moment._ She ran away. She ruined the one good thing in her life, and she knew she would never be able to get it back.

Her lack of focus on saving a few lives earned her a nice hit from a car, but she could handle it. It was skidding across the rain-covered highway, and she had it coming. She even saw the car coming towards her, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She could only stand and stare, accepting the result of her poor choices.

She was tired of never being allowed to have a good thing, even if this time it was her own fault for ruining it. She had been so numb, and to have Waverly finally bring her the joy she’d been craving to feel again, then to have it all ripped away, she couldn’t bare that empty feeling again. She felt an empty hole where her heart should be, and a physical pain in her lungs worse than any injury that could come to her in this moment. Here she was, in the middle of two near-colliding cars, in the pouring rain, thinking about the night and the relationship she’d definitely ruined for good.

The cars skidded to a halt. She was met with a few flying pieces coming off the cars from the impact of the start, but she was too numb to even acknowledge the pain.

“Thank you so much,” A man said to her. She nodded with a weak smile back at him before turning away, jumping off the edge of the bridge and into the air. She immediately got flashbacks to when she helped Waverly and the way she hugged her. She longed for the feeling again, her heart trying to replicate it, but failing. What would one expect if they’ve got no heart in the first place? Nicole brushed away a tear from her cheek, feeling a sting from where she’d apparently been cut.

She decided to stop at Waverly’s again, even though it was well past one in the morning now, and she hoped the brunette went to sleep. She also hoped that maybe she drank enough to forget the kiss even happen. She hovered by Waverly’s window, seeing her body rise up and down as she slept, the covers balled in her fist. Bringing herself to the ground and becoming her regular self, she wished to run up to her room, kiss her again, and apologize, but she couldn’t even bring herself to look in the window for more than a few seconds. Everything reminded her of the beautiful thing that she’d ruined.

She walked to her car, being as quiet as she could as she drove off. Heartbroken and destroyed were understatements for how she felt in this moment. She couldn’t even say she’d hit rock bottom at this point, though, because things always seemed to be falling apart. She was falling and falling, never hitting the bottom. Finally, she found Waverly, though, and she started making her way back up. Now she was falling again.

Waverly wasn’t asleep. Since the kiss, she only left her room to get an entire bottle of Vodka, then locking herself back in. It wasn’t like anyone had noticed anyway. She downed the whole thing, not caring about how badly her throat burned, aching for her to stop. The bottle ended up on the floor, along with her for a good bit of time. Nicole hated her, and she was sure of it. She felt so stupid. Nicole didn’t like her. She was so caught up in her own feelings, that her mind made her think that Nicole liked her back. Nicole was just nice to her. Nicole just kissed back because she felt it was natural to; she didn’t actually want to kiss Waverly.

Waverly heard Wynonna get home and force everyone out around twelve. She checked in on her temporarily, but she was somehow able to convince her that she was fine, just tired.

Just tired.

 _Tired_ was one way to put it. _Destroyed_ might suit her feelings a bit more. She was every word in the book associated with _ruined_. Yet she also felt like no words could explain the feelings she felt, and she would be left wondering herself how she could become so broken so quickly.

She shouldn’t have let herself acknowledge Nicole as a safe place, or friend. She shouldn’t have let herself keep letting her feelings control her. She shouldn’t have looked into those stupid brown eyes after she tripped over her foot. She shouldn’t have kissed her.

She lost what had become everything to her, and it was all her fault. No more dreams at night, no more daydreams throughout every waking second of the day. No fantasizing about how perfect their first kiss would be, or how comfortable it felt in Nicole’s hugs, or how they would go on dates, or how they would sing to each other in the car like idiots, or how they would fall in love and everything would be perfect. The world of daydreams Waverly had built up around Nicole had been torn down. Her mind felt blank, and the only thing in it was one scene repeating over and over.

_“I have to go.”_

She was so repulsed she ran away. Waverly didn’t even want to think about it, but it was the only thing that made itself present in her head. She lost all hope. Nothing would ever work out, and maybe she just had to accept it. Maybe she didn’t deserve the happy ending she made for herself, maybe she was just meant to sit back and watch everyone get theirs, and she would be the one the congratulate them over and over, secretly praying for her moment to come, too.

But it never will. Because she ruined it for herself. Her happy ending was right there, and she ruined it.

 

-

 

Nicole wished a broken heart was a crime because then she’d have an excuse to be by Waverly’s side again, maybe even getting lucky enough to experience her hugs again.

Nicole got back to her house, not even playing music on the way home. She got out her car and walked in the door, heart heavy, both her shoulders feeling like they were going to fall off completely.

“How was it?” Her father asked, still sitting in his chair from before.

“Shit.” Nicole ran up to her room. She never cursed in front of her parents, or at all, really, with a few exceptions. She shut the door of her room and locked it, sliding down to sit on the floor. She took off her shoes, tossing them somewhere in the room. She had silent tears streaming down her face, but she didn’t care at all at this point. She just let them fall. She stood up and ripped off her jacket, then taking the stupid Rubik’s Cube off her nightstand and throwing it to the ground, all the pieces popping off and scattering across the floor. She felt herself burning up, her hair becoming an even brighter red than it already was, and her eyes becoming auburn-tinted. She stared so hard at the broken pieces on the ground that they crumbled, leaving a flickering red spark before they disappeared entirely.

 

-

 

Waverly snapped up from her near-sleep as she felt a burning feeling on her skin, and a rattling noise on the desk not too far from her bed. She looked down at her necklace and it was glowing red. She put her hand to it, but immediately had to rip it off, leaving a burn mark on her palm. She took in a sharp breath before yanking it off and throwing it to the floor, watching it illuminate that small area around it. She then looked toward the rattling noise, seeing her brand new Rubik’s Cube shaking by itself. She felt her heart rate speed up to a rate she’d never felt before. She jumped out the bed and started backing towards the door, seeing two glowing red handprints dissolve from her window. She ran out and to Wynonna’s room, bursting into her sister’s room and shutting the door behind her.

“What?” Wynonna groaned, sitting up tiredly.

“Can I stay in here tonight?” Waverly asked, “Not feeling well. Too much alcohol.” She lied, trying to get her heart rate to match the facade she was putting up.

“You’ve got to learn how to take a drink,” Wynonna moved over to one side of the bed and patted the open space for Waverly, “Please, just don’t throw up.”

“I won’t,” Waverly exhaled with relief that she had someone to protect her in case anything happened. Wynonna was always extremely protective over Waverly, and stuck with her through everything. She always felt safe around her, even if Wynonna herself could be a bad influence. She climbed in next to Wynonna and stared up at the ceiling, Wynonna looking at her sister for a moment. She knew she was a terrible liar, and that it was always very obvious when she was distraught.

“Listen, I know you aren’t traumatized from alcohol.” She grabbed Waverly’s hand, “But I’m not going to make you talk. Just know I’m here, okay?” She also knew how hard it was for Waverly to admit something was wrong. She was once hit with a tranquilizer dart and still went to band practice. Nothing stopped Waverly from pretending everything was okay, but nothing was like that all the time. Waverly got sad, and hurt, and got her heart broken, and nothing could stop that, either. Sometimes it was hard to deal with, alone, though, and Wynonna knew that Waverly was one facade away from exploding.

Waverly looked across at the older Earp, feeling a hint of relaxation for the first time that night, “Thanks. It is a bit of alcohol, though. Just to let you know.”

Wynonna chuckled, “I know that, too. You’re such a lightweight.” She pressed a kiss to Waverly’s temple, “Get some rest for tonight. Talk to me when you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Wynonna.” Waverly let go of her hand and turned over, “Goodnight.”

“Night, kid.”

 

-

 

Nicole ended up passed out on her floor, a scatter of broken things around her. Her bedsheets were all about the room, clothing hangers were broken and on the ground, rings were glowing red and could burn through whatever they touched, and anything she’d set hands on the night before had a glowing red handprint still remaining on it.

When she finally opened her eyes, she wasn’t in her room at all, or even in her house. She was in what appeared to be a hospital room, wires connected to random parts of her body, her parents sitting in two chairs adjacent to the bed she was lying in.

“Nicole,” Her mother sighed with relief, rushing over to the side of the bed, “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine,” Nicole could barely speak. Talking felt new to her vocal chords, like she had to relearn how to make sound with them. She started trying to sit up, “Why am I-?”

“No, don’t overwork yourself.” Her father laid her back down, and Nicole was panting under his touch, clearly having leftover anger, “How are you feeling?”  


“I’m fine.” She said through gritted teeth, making the most intimidating eye contact that she’d ever made with anyone. She wanted to get up and run away. She felt too trapped in this dumb white room. It made her feel stuck and restrained.

“What’s your name?” Her mother asked, worry evident on her face. Nicole seemed in tact, but she was told to check, just in case.

Nicole sighed heavily, “Nicole. Elizabeth. Haught. Now answer my question: Why am I here?” She twitched with her words, getting angrier by the second that she didn’t know anything about where she was or why she was there. She was clenching the bedsheets in her hands, expecting them to disintegrate in her palms, but was only met with what seemed to be indestructible fabric. She was no longer feeling the heat in her veins, which made her panic, which made her even more angry. She then noticed that she wasn’t wearing her necklace, “What are you doing to me?”

“Listen, first I need you to calm down.” Her father, Nathan, told her. He had never seen Nicole so unhinged except from when he and her mother, Carrie, had walked in on her when she was seven, experiencing her powers for the first time. Nicole was never one to lose her cool; she was always obedient and collected. Her parents would be lying if they said she wasn’t absolutely petrifying in this moment.

“I _am_ calm.” Nicole replied.

“You were passed out in your room, you’re aware of that, right?” Carrie asked carefully, trying to keep a calm exterior that would hopefully transfer to her daughter.

“To some extent.” Nicole said, jaw still clenched, fists still trying to break through the cheap fabric of the hospital bed sheets.

“You were dangerous. We had to bring you here to make sure you didn’t literally explode. I’m not going to ask what caused you to lash out, but I _do_ expect to know at some point. Also, I know you’re completely unaware, but it’s Monday. Not the Monday after the Sunday you passed out, it’s been a week, and we are so glad you’re okay.”

“You let me stay here for a _week_?” Nicole raised her voice, even though it was still raspy and cracking as she reached new levels of volume, ones that she never expected to use with her parents. She felt like she’d completely lost control of herself. She hated herself again for getting so attached to something only to go out and destroy it.

“Nicole, you can’t just shake someone out of a coma. Especially if they’re… well… like you. You were toxic, Nicole. We had no other choice.” Nathan took Nicole’s hand, but she instantaneously pulled it back.

“When can I leave?” She asked, “I’m already the freak of the school, and I don’t want to be the freak who mysteriously disappeared for over a week.”

“You’ll be back soon enough. Until then, though, you’ll be in your room with no locked doors. Stay away from technology as much as you can until we can get your body leveled out again. You were so overworked, and getting angry pushed you over the edge. I expect you to follow what your father and I tell you to do, otherwise you won’t even be back at school.” Carrie laid down the law, even if it hurt her to have to be tough on her daughter when she was clearly in a worn-down, broken state.

Nicole nodded, her breaths still sharp, and fists just coming unclenched. If she hadn’t run away, she could be sitting with Waverly right now, teaching her how to solve a cube, giggling and teasing each other, then asking her out on a real date. She could be holding her hand, and the thought of this happening wouldn’t even be a thought. She could be getting a chance and taking it, but now she appeared to be missing every opportunity that came her way.

 

\--

 

Waverly can’t say she didn’t miss Nicole and the way she was slouched against her locker every time Waverly needed her. She wanted Nicole to be here so she could ignore her. She wanted that crushing feeling of guilt and anger she’d be feeling if Nicole was actually here to be ignored by her.

The past week and a half had been absolute hell. She had no idea what emotion to feel, what words to say, so she blocked both things out entirely. She barely spoke, and every time she started to feel the slightest thing, she pushed it down. She didn’t want it, unless it was directly for one person- that one person not being here.

Waverly grew concerned, but she didn’t want to text Nicole, or try to see her. She didn’t want to see her on her own; she wanted Nicole to just show up. She knew she could probably easily clear things up, but her brain made it seem like the situation was impossible to fix. For once, Waverly Earp didn’t have some optimistic answer to solve all her problems. She didn’t see anything positive, and she didn’t see any way to even fix the problem at hand. She was blinded by her own emotions- or lack thereof. Everything seemed so utterly hopeless, unlike anything she’s ever felt before.

Nicole was special. Waverly hadn’t even felt this way when some family members moved away or left her for whatever reason. Maybe it was her stupid charm, her stupid face, the stupid way she cared for Waverly like she was the only girl in the world. The stupid way that she made Waverly feel important, and that everything she did in the world was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't really have anything to say except don't worry it'll all be fine soon lol


	7. tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole returns back to school and the tension is high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this i think is my least favorite chapter for some reason, but something tells me y'all will like it. lol.

Nicole didn’t go into school early when she was finally back. She timed herself to walk in as soon as the bell rang, which meant she would be able to get to class without anyone interrupting her. The only thing people did was stare, taking note of the faint bruise on her cheek that was accompanied by a scratch that was still healing. Nicole had been out of school for over a week, and she felt herself turning into the girl that the rumors shaped her to be. She felt angry still, and people looking at her didn’t help. However, she was glad to be back in school, glad to feel just a bit normal again.

At home she was under strict watch, making sure her energy and chemical levels were balanced. She couldn’t go out and be Ultrared (which she was starting to feel was a release for her), not until her parents ensured that she was in proper health to do so. They hadn’t realized how overworked she was, and they felt awful that they were the ones that dragged her into the work.

Waverly clenched her jaw as she saw Nicole back in her seat in English class. The second she saw that red hair waltz in, all she could think of was that night: the excitement, the perfection, the heartbreak, the fear. Waverly still felt the way her hands felt in Nicole’s hair, then the way they slid down to pull Nicole in by her flannel. She still felt the warmth and adrenaline from when she initially cupped her face and brought their lips together. She hated how perfect it was and how she wouldn’t change it for the world. She hated that she still wanted to do it again even after their relationship had been absolutely destroyed.

Regardless of everything, though, Waverly still put on the necklace Nicole gave her and hid it under her shirt. She still toyed with it every now and then and hoped Nicole would take it as a sign that she _did_ still like her. A lot. Granted, Waverly should probably make the necklace visible so Nicole could take the hint. Waverly also kept the Rubik’s Cube in her bag, just in case things happened to patch up and Nicole could teach her. She purposefully avoided watching videos because she only wanted Nicole to teach her. She only wanted Nicole guiding her through it, congratulating her when she was doing things right.

Nicole felt the familiar stare from behind. It took everything in her to not turn around the first few minutes of feeling it, but she eventually had to give in. She slowly turned, but didn’t see anyone staring. She frowned and turned back around.

Waverly knew Nicole was about to turn, so she looked down at her paper where she was drawing yet again. She felt her heart stop as she peripherally saw Nicole turn, that stupid frown making Waverly want to cry and beg for her forgiveness.

“Hey,” Nicole’s previously mentioned ‘friend’, Rosita, tapped her shoulder.

Nicole turned and quirked an eyebrow, not really being in the mood to talk to anyone at the minute. She only wanted to talk to one person, and that one person was currently off limits.

“Is it true you hooked up with Earp?” She whispered.

Nicole tried not to choke right then and there, “What the-- No!” She whisper-shouted. “It’s quite the opposite.” Nicole rolled her eyes and folded her arms, slouching even more than she was before.

“Sorry.”

Nicole ignored her, sighing. It was enough to have the situation on her mind all the time, now she knew some gay rumors were about to start circulating about her. Before, she wouldn’t have minded rumors about her and Waverly. She knew she could trust Waverly, and she felt like the world around her didn’t exist. Now, though, it was all she was aware of.

Of all the times for a rumor to circulate about the two of them, of course this was the time everyone had chosen. Had it been before, maybe it would’ve pushed them to kiss earlier. Maybe they would be together now, addressing the rumors as true, or laughing them off though secretly knowing the rumors were factual. But no timing was ever that perfect. Nothing ever fell into place just like that.

Usually, Nicole would be fine with any rumor because she knew it wouldn’t matter in the future. This time, though, a rumor was going around about Waverly, too, that Nicole couldn’t stop without outing both of them, or further ruining the situation. She just hoped Waverly wouldn’t catch on to it.

Waverly did hear, though, only because she was eavesdropping on Nicole’s conversation with Rosita. She leaned back in her seat, falling even more head over heels over Nicole denying everything for the sake of Waverly’s reputation. That was another thing Waverly admired about Nicole. She would let her reputation crumble into pieces just to save Waverly’s. Even if the rumor wasn’t _entirely_ true, it was somewhat accurate. She wondered how people had even found out or started to talk about it, but it didn’t matter. She accepted that it was going around, and she guessed that a part of her deep down didn’t hate it. If things worked out, maybe it would make it less of a shock to the school.

 _If_ things worked out.

Which she was not certain about.

She thought more over the conversation she listened in on. Secretly, she wished it was actually true. Of all the lies that went around, she would kill for this one to be true. She could picture it happening, how her liquid courage would lock the door and they’d make their way to her bed.

Her heart rate sped up.

She felt like she could feel Nicole near her again, and, _gosh,_ she craved that touch. She could picture her hands in her hair, their lips crashing together over and over again, gasping for breath as they fell onto the bed.

She could hear her heart in her ears.

Heat. She could feel the heat of the moment, the adrenaline, the risk. She felt how passionate it was, how risky it was to be doing it now. She could see their smiles, taste Nicole’s lips on hers all over again, but with more fire. With more passion. With more heat.

Nicole jumped at the sound of a chair abruptly moving and hitting the desk. The class was typically always quiet being that everyone was half-asleep, not putting in the effort to wake up for second period. The redhead, along with the rest of the class, turned toward the noise, where Waverly Earp was flushed red, panic on her face. She had both hands gripping her chair, and once she saw everyone look at her, she tightened her grip.

“... Sorry.” She said quietly, accidentally making eye contact with Nicole as she turned away. Waverly saw a smirk on Nicole’s face, and she was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her dimple as she turned away, which only drove her more crazy. The silence that washed over the class again swallowed her up.

The tension between her and the redhead sitting two seats up wasn’t just felt by the two of them. The whole classroom seemed tense, and the little eye game that Waverly sensed her and Nicole were going to be playing only made her tense up more.

 

-

 

Nicole got to her locker for lunch, seeing another lovely sticky note on it. She sighed, folding it up and tossing it toward the back of her locker. She grabbed her lunch and shut it, sitting against it on the ground.

She watched as groups of people made their ways to the cafeteria, a particular brunette catching her eye. Waverly looked her way for a second, quickly, snapping her head to look forward again as she passed her up. Nicole sighed and shook her head, taking a rather aggressive bite off her Fruit by the Foot. She took out a book and propped it up in her lap, reading it while feeling eyes staring at her again. She looked to her right, a bit annoyed that she was pulled away from her book. She saw Waverly sitting down the hall by her own locker, looking away from Nicole.

“This is stupid,” Nicole said, loud enough for Waverly to hear, “Just sayin’.”

“Well, you hate me, so I’m allowed to be stupid.” Waverly huffed. The two of them in the empty hallway looked like absolute idiots, trying to talk out something that clearly caused them both an explosion of pain by talking loudly from across a hallway at each other.

“Well, you hate me, too. We’re even.” Nicole said, a hint of anger in her voice. Obviously, neither of them had ever had to confess feelings or clear up a fight before. They were acting like ten year olds, and they both knew it. Nicole took an angry bite of a chip.

“So you _do_ hate me?” Waverly felt tears prick at her eyes. Of course she hated her. But she didn’t hate her back. Now, she would have to live with Nicole hating her for the rest of her life, and that seemed like way too much to handle. “Because if that’s-”

“I don’t hate you, Waverly.” Nicole said, pulling her eyes away from the book again, “Now stop shouting.” She directed for Waverly to come over with a tense arm, “I don’t bite.”

Waverly longed to be sat next to Nicole again. She didn’t hesitate grabbing all her things and dragging them across the hall, running to sit next to Nicole again. She sat and wiped the one tear that had fallen, yet her eyes were still quite puffy. She tried to maintain her angry posture, but she was immediately sucked into Nicole’s energy, which annoyingly already relaxed her. She despised it.

“Waverly,” Nicole sighed and leaned her head against the locker. She shut her book and set it aside, and Waverly took notice of how Nicole didn’t even use a bookmark. Of course she could just remember what page she left off on. Of course, she was just perfect like that.

“Nicole,” Waverly thought for a moment before putting one hand on Nicole’s cheek and turning her face toward her. She felt a lump in her throat her her heart threaten to explode as she looked into Nicole’s eyes, being deprived of the feeling of looking into them, “I’m not going to ask all the questions that I have. I really just have to tell you something.”

Nicole nodded, deciding not to add a sarcastic comment to cover up how vulnerable she felt in this moment.

“I really like you, Nicole.” Waverly said, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, yet remaining tense. She still felt angry, and it showed in the way she talked, but she wasn’t going to let Nicole go off and hate her without confessing her feelings first. She exhaled, waiting impatiently for a reply. The seconds ticked by in silence. “And I know what happened sucked. And I shouldn’t have kissed you. But I’m not going to beat around the bush, so there. I like you. Now you can go hate me in peace.”

Nicole once again felt herself struggling to find the words.

“I like you, too. I’m surprised that wasn’t obvious.” Nicole finally smiled, much to Waverly’s relief.

“You ran away after we kissed, then didn’t show up for school for over a week.” Waverly said, “You kind of destroyed me, even if it might have been my fault.”

Nicole took Waverly’s hand off of her cheek and held it, letting their fingers intertwine. She looked down at them, “I didn’t mean to run away. Trust me, I still want to kiss you again.” Nicole looked around for a second, lowering her voice, “Maybe we can get a re-do.”

Waverly grinned and stood up, pulling Nicole up with her. The grin was hard to wipe off her face, but she managed for the sake of trying to stay angry, or at least look like she was. She pulled her to the most stereotypical place to make out, the janitor’s closet. Champ had tried to take her here once, then Tucker a few days later. Now it was her turn to take someone here. Someone who she actually _wanted_ to kiss. Someone who she actually cared about. Someone who she actually felt safe doing this around.

“Waverly,” Nicole nervously chuckled as Waverly opened the door and locked it behind them.

Waverly got up on a stool, which set her at a height a bit taller than Nicole. She set her hands on Nicole’s shoulder’s, their faces inches apart. “You should probably stop talking.”

Nicole was weak at the knees, but she kept up her confident personality and hid it with a smirk, “You should probably make me.” She watched Waverly smile, a smile she knew she didn’t want to be wearing. Waverly wanted so badly to stay mad at Nicole for days on end, for more than the week that she was gone. Nicole’s charm and oh-so amazing making-up skills, though, said otherwise. So there Waverly was smiling, her eyes lighting up like all her dreams were coming true.

“Oh, I will,” Waverly leaned down and pressed her lips against Nicole’s again. Somehow it was even better the second time around. All the unasked questions in Waverly’s head seemed to not matter anymore in this moment. She felt the world around them wash away, and once again she was able to run her hands through Nicole’s hair, pulling her even closer.

Nicole smiled as they parted for air then kissed again, feeling the void in her chest fill up and overflow with such intense feelings for Waverly. Everything felt like it was falling into place again, slowly, but surely.

Waverly parted away for a moment, their foreheads resting together, catching their breath, “I expect all my questions answered at some point. You can’t just disappear like that. I’m still angry at you.” Waverly held Nicole’s face in her hands, looking into her eyes.

“You’ll know soon enough.” Nicole swore, going in to kiss Waverly again, getting in about ten more seconds before the bell rang. “Good luck on your math test. Don’t think about me too much,” Nicole winked as the exited, then quickly running to get their things and run to class. Waverly couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she walked off to her next class. And one can assume she didn’t focus the entire time either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooo, feelings! 
> 
> i start school tomorrow (rip) so everyone pray i can still find time to write lol. 
> 
> follow me on twitter/insta if you wanttttt @draghaught


	8. date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly suggests something to settle in the relationship: a first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so excited for this chapter to be up it's one of my favvvssss

Walking back to her car, Nicole felt a familiar hand grab hers as she reached the vehicle. She grinned as she leaned against the car, seeing Waverly Earp standing in front of her, “Just thought I’d see you once more before the day ends.” She bit her lip. Her thoughts about Nicole were now uncontrollable, and a lot more detailed since their ‘talk.’ She’d never felt this way about someone before, let alone a girl. Of course, she’d known she was attracted to them, but she had no idea  _ just _ how attracted she was to one in particular. 

“How thoughtful,” Nicole smiled, her dimple poking in one of her pink-tinted cheeks. She felt Waverly’s body against hers, and she knew the rumors would get even more intense if people saw them, but she didn’t care, and Waverly seemed to not to care either. 

Waverly looked around quickly before grabbing Nicole’s face and kissing her quickly, leaving Nicole in surprise, barely even able to kiss back. Nicole felt so much adrenaline pulsing through her body she saw her hands emit that happy sparkle that she just couldn’t contain. She could only hope it wouldn’t reach where Waverly would notice.

“Text you later,” Waverly smiled and waved as she walked away to her car, which she made note to herself to park next to Nicole’s tomorrow. She felt like a new person, and people noticed. Everyone assumed she and Champ had finally  _ ‘done it,’ _ but in reality, she’d just gotten her first real taste of Nicole Haught and she couldn’t wait for more. She flipped her hair over her shoulder as she made her way to her jeep, knowing Nicole was watching her as she walked off. 

Nicole kicked off her car, grinning as she watched Waverly walk off, more confident than she’d ever seen her before. Waverly had boys falling at her feet every second the past four years, but Nicole was the one to give Waverly that burst of confidence and sureness of herself. Nicole was the one who showed her true care and respect, not some false exterior of a boy who just wanted to get up her skirt. 

Nicole finally got in her car, starting it and looking back up. She took one last look at Waverly before pulling out the parking lot, knowing her skin was glowing (physically and metaphorically). Things turned around quick for Nicole, but she couldn’t ignore that feeling that the universe wouldn’t let it last. She knew her battles weren’t over, but she hoped that through all of them, Waverly would be her constant good thing, the one thing she could depend on to always be there. The hope that Waverly filled her heart with made everything seem possible. She could defeat any enemy, save any citizen, be strong both in and out of her super-personality. 

Ultrared helped Nicole to feel like she had a purpose in this world. She was a part of something bigger than her, something that was so dear to people. Through being forced to fight for the city, she found that she was fighting for herself also. She found a meaning in Nicole, not just in Ultrared. Nicole was something important. She was something that deserved to be saved just as much as the city. She was  _ something _ .

 

-

 

“You look happy,” Wynonna, who was surprisingly home during the day, commented as Waverly walked inside, looking much different than she did this morning. “Please tell me you didn’t give into Champ. Or Tucker. Or--”

“I didn’t.” Waverly scoffed, walking to her room in a way that made Wynonna curious as to what made her sister glow so much, but happy nonetheless for her. It had been a while since she’d seen her sister look so positive. Genuinely positive. She knew Waverly always put on a brave face, even if her interior didn’t match her outside appearance. Waverly was so broken, much like her sister, and Wynonna was glad to see her look like she was patching up. Even if it was just for tonight, something made Waverly happy, and that was something to appreciate. 

Waverly sat on her bed and took her phone out, deciding whether or not to text Nicole. Of course, she wanted to. She wanted to talk to Nicole every waking second of the day, but at the same time she wanted Nicole to be on her toes. Fighting her urge to schedule a place where she could kiss her again, she clicked off the redhead’s contact and threw her phone to the side. 

She reached under her bed and grabbed the sketchbook she kept there, starting to unapologetically start a sketch of Nicole. She had nothing to hide from herself now, and drawing the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen wasn’t creepy if it was for practice purposes. Waverly was always striving to be better at everything she did, and Nicole gave her a chance to put more emotion into her work, to really let out everything she couldn’t find the words for. 

Waverly wasn’t a vocal person when it came to expressing feelings: positive or negative. She found it difficult to find the right words, but somehow her brain could create the images for her thoughts. She was always a keen listener, too, which not only gave her a perspective of her own, but of someone else’s, which shaped her work even more. Rather than finding feelings in words, she was much better at placing them in melodies, images, and designs. 

“You gonna tell me what’s got you all happy?” Wynonna poked her head in, and Waverly threw her book off her bed before the door was completely open. 

“Nothing.” Waverly lied, “Just in a good mood.” She tried to fight the growing smile on her face as she thought about Nicole smiling at her, and the way it felt to kiss her after wanting to for four years. 

“I don’t believe you. This morning you almost threw the cereal box because it was taking too long to come out.” The older Earp sat next to Waverly on her bed nudging her with her shoulder, “What is it? Or who is it?”

“No one, Wynonna.” Waverly shook her head, “I’ve just cooled down since this morning.” She wasn’t exactly lying, but she most definitely wasn’t telling the truth. 

“I’ll get it out of you eventually,” Wynonna got up and walked towards the door, stopping once more to look at her sister, “Regardless, I’m glad you’re in a good mood. You deserve it.”

“You do, too,” Waverly smiled softly, “Thanks.” The Earp sisters had their occasional bicker, but they had been through far too much together to ever hold anything against one another. In the end, they knew the other would always be there for them, standing with open arms and warm hearts. 

Wynonna left Waverly to herself again, to which Waverly picked the book back up, finding a few specks of glitter had gotten on the paper. She didn’t really even question where the glitter came from because it was her room after all, full of happy looking objects that she always hoped would rub off on her. 

 

-

 

Nicole got home from school to an empty house, as usual. That was except for her two pets, Cleo being the one who greeted her at the door. 

“Hey, girl,” Nicole bent down as her dog rubbed against her, missing her after a long day at school. Nicole had been with Cleo for quite a few days, so, naturally, the dog missed her when she left her for a day. 

She gave Cleo one last rub behind her ears before standing up and walking to her room, plopping down on her bed. Her heart started beating quick again, and she got that same giggly feeling she did the day that Waverly talked to her for the first time. She hugged her pillow close to her chest and let a smile take over her face. She emitted a giggle. She felt her body glow and her necklace heat up. 

_ Happy. Secure. Excited _ .

Things she was actually  _ feeling _ . She had glimpses of emotions but all-in-all she felt in a constant state of numbness and confusion. Now, though, she knew what she felt. She felt joy and bliss. She felt like she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face if she tried. She felt like everything was right. 

It wasn’t just Waverly that made her feel this way. It was the fact that she’d began to give herself to someone, the fact that she worked up the charm and confidence to even talk to that someone, the fact that someone wanted her in the way she wanted them. It was a pile of personal triumphs on top of having a beautiful, caring girl who she was sure she wanted to ask to be her girlfriend. 

 

-

 

At school the next morning, Waverly met Nicole on the floor, painfully refraining from any form of affection. “Hey, hot-stuff.” She smiled, barely letting their pinkies touch on the ground. 

“Hey,” Nicole smiled, “I like your outfit. It’s different.” She smiled at the fact that Waverly had let loose a bit. She was wearing a black pocket tee with a purple flannel, paired with blue jeans with rips over the knees. ”There’s just one thing missing.”

Waverly panicked for a moment. She wanted Nicole to be impressed with her outfit, and now she felt like an absolute freak, despite how much the outfit made her feel like herself.

Nicole reached over to the bottoms of Waverly’s jeans, cuffing both of them the perfect amount, just like how she wears her own. “There. Perfect.” Nicole told her, subtly looking her up and down before their eyes met again. 

Waverly blushed, “I would’ve never taken you for a fashion expert.” She laughed lightly, but realized she really liked the way her jeans looked cuffed, rather than stuffed into her converse. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicole laughed with her, “Are you saying that my outfits aren’t all awesome?”

“They are,” Waverly gripped an end of Nicole’s shirt and twisted it around her finger, “You know what I mean.” She looked up and saw someone walking by, so she quickly jumped away from the redhead, who was fully aware of why she detached herself. 

“So,” Waverly looked deep into Nicole’s brown eyes, no longer joking around with her, “I want to go on a date. With you. This is my attempt at asking you out. Please, shut me up whenever you want because I really don’t know how to do this sort of thing.”

Nicole felt like a rainbow had just exploded out of her and she was riding her way up to cloud nine. She smiled a dorky, excited smile, “I’d really, really like that. How about Friday? We can go to this pizza restaurant right near my house.”

Waverly smiled wide, “Awesome. I’ll pick you up for six.”

“Pick me up?”

“I  _ am _ a gentle-woman, Nicole.” She linked their pinkies again, “And I really like you.”

“I really like you, too.” The redhead grinned, once again getting lost in Waverly’s gaze, just aching to kiss her again. She wanted to kiss her gently, though, not like their other times. She wanted it to be slow and careful, just like how tender she wanted to be with the blooming relationship. She wanted them to stand on her front porch and say their goodbyes, sealing the night with a kiss that would mean more to her than anything. Hopefully even their first kiss as a couple, if she could even get herself that far. 

 

-

 

Friday creeped up slowly, but surely. Nicole hadn’t really changed her outfit since school ended, but she did grab a nicer jacket, and clean up her converse a bit. It was only a date to a pizza restaurant, so she didn’t feel pressured to dress up. She grabbed her phone as it buzzed, seeing Waverly had arrived at exactly six. She chuckled and grabbed her bag with her wallet, then skipped downstairs, trying to conceal the huge smile on her face. Her dad was about to ask her about where she was going, but she was out the door too quick, running to Waverly’s jeep and hopping in the front seat. 

“Hey,” Waverly smiled, “You look awesome.”

Nicole laughed lightly at Waverly’s kindness, knowing she was essentially just in the same outfit she was in previously. “You do, too. Thank you. Your cuffs still in tact?” She asked.

Waverly, before pulling off, lifted one leg up on to the seat, “I think so."

“Perfect.” Nicole nodded, “I taught you well.”

“Yes, you did.” Waverly put her foot back down, starting to drive off, “I’m still waiting for you to teach me how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. I expect to learn soon.” She took a quick glance at Nicole before darting her eyes back to the road. 

“I will,” Nicole replied, “Promise. You’re very clever, so I’m sure it’ll be easy for you.” Nicole complimented, knowing how smart and intelligent Waverly was, even if she didn’t show it all the time. 

“Says you, Miss eight-second solve.”

“How’d you know my record?” Nicole cocked her head to the side with a smile. 

“I’d maybe watch you in class and count.” Waverly made sure not to make eye contact at this point, praying Nicole didn’t see her as some creep who watches her in class. 

To her relief, Nicole chuckled and replied with, “Cute.”

“Aww, you think I’m cute.” Waverly teased, picking up on a few aspects of Nicole’s charm, which had rubbed off on her over the course of the time they talked. 

“Maybe I do.” Nicole looked out the window, a smile having not left her face since Waverly texted her that she arrived. 

“Well, maybe I think you’re cute, too.” Waverly smiled at her this time, both of their eyes softening when they met, the gaze holding a million sparks in between.

Upon arriving to the restaurant, Waverly insisted that she open Nicole’s door for her, which only made the redhead laugh in reply, hiding that it made her heart soar for how endearing Waverly was. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, first with hesitation, then with confidence. They walked into the building and placed their orders at the front desk, then filling up their drinks and finding a booth to sit at at. 

Nicole couldn’t be more thankful that she was still on probation from her powers. In fact, that probation would end on Monday, so she was enjoying her time without the anxiety of waiting for a beep to ruin her moments. Her wounds had time to heal, and she was finally able to relax into a normal life. She knew she couldn’t get used to it, but she could cherish every second of it, maybe being a bit thankful for that one ruined night. Without that ruined night, Nicole would’ve never had an outburst big enough to get put on that blessed probation, so all things really do happen for a reason. The universe knows what it’s doing; even though it feels like everything is wrong, the universe always has something up its sleeve to turn everything around. It looks out for those inside of it. 

Waverly sensed the calmness of Nicole, a new found relief. She didn’t know exactly what for, but it didn’t matter. As long as Nicole was as good as she could be, Waverly would mimic the same relaxation. 

"You’re glowing.” Waverly took a sip of her drink, her eyes carrying a flirtatious smile.

Nicole knew she was happy, but was praying the glow hadn’t gotten up to her face, “What do you mean?”

“Happy. You look happy, Nicole.” Waverly let their fingertips touch on the table as she used the other hand to rest her head in. 

Nicole smiled with relief, “Well, I feel happy.”

“I do, too.” Waverly smiled, “Everything feels right.”

Nicole nodded, “Yeah.” She held on as tight as she could to this one moment, not wanting a single second to slip out her memory. She knew her life was not one to have a very long good moment, so she wanted to savour this one while she had the chance to. 

Nicole looked at their touching hands, admiring how the rings Waverly was wearing complimented her hands so well. When she looked back up at Waverly, the brunette was biting her lip, a nervous yet happy look in her eyes. There were nerves, but mainly just happy adrenaline and fast heartbeats. 

Through the hour and a half that they were sat there, they shared a countless amount of loving stares, and flirty smiles. They laughed and teased one another, but always backed with flirting. They couldn’t get enough of each other even after the restaurant was drawing to a close. To continue, they sat on the sidewalk near it, continuing the laughs and smiles.

“Hey, I- umm,” Waverly reached into her bag and pulled out a mixed up Rubik’s Cube, “I brought it with me. Sorry if that’s dorky.”

“Well, if you’re dorky,” Nicole pulled out a new one she had gotten, “I’m dorky, too.”

Waverly laughed, both with nerves and because the two of them couldn’t be any more compatible. “So,” She smiled at the redhead, “Teach me?”

“Of course,” Nicole quickly mixed hers up, then feeling Waverly scoot closer to her, their shoulders pressed together. She started to explain the steps and how it all worked, Waverly catching on quickly, even quicker than Nicole thought she would. 

“Is this right?” Waverly showed Nicole the completed first layer, credits to Nicole’s stellar teaching. Waverly noted how Nicole wasn’t condescending in her words, she was encouraging. She knew exactly how to explain how everything worked, and how to correct Waverly when she made a mistake. 

Nicole looked at Waverly’s cube and twisted it just once to match up the colors properly, “Perfect.” She watched how Waverly beamed. “Now it’s just algorithms.” Nicole showed Waverly how and why each thing worked the way it did. She explained how sometimes you have to mess it up before it gets back to where it should be, with a new piece in place afterwards. Sometimes a layer would have to get messed up for another to work, but in the end of it all, everything came together. 

They sat together for the next hour, Waverly laughing at her own mess-ups and Nicole encouraging her despite an error. She knew Waverly would pick everything up fast, and she even was able to learn it all. One step at a time, Waverly found herself memorizing patterns, and most definitely memorizing that happy face Nicole would make when she got something right. 

“Oh my gosh, Nicole!” Waverly twisted the last bit into place, “Look!”

Nicole clapped, “Yes! I told you you could do it!” She high-fived Waverly, but Waverly only grabbed her hand and pressed their lips together for a glorious few seconds. 

Nicole smiled as Waverly pulled away, laughing lightly.

“Sorry.” Waverly chuckled, “I got too excited.”   
  
“Never apologize for something like that,” Nicole felt a raindrop hit her forehead. She looked up, at the clouds, “Well, isn’t that awesome.”

Waverly laughed as the raindrops kept falling, not minding them in the slightest. “The sky wanted to congratulate me, too.”

“I’m sure it did.” Nicole smiled, putting her cube back in her bag. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” Waverly stood up and grabbed Nicole’s hand, pulling her up as well, “Thank you for tonight.” She said as they started walking back to her car, “I had the most fun ever.”

“Thank you, too. For the same reasons.”

Waverly drove the two back to Nicole’s house, where the brunette walked her to the door, but didn’t enter just yet. They stood on the porch, the rain still falling. Waverly took a breath before facing Nicole. “Girlfriend. Uhh- that. I want you to be my girlfriend, if that’s okay with you. God, I can’t even speak.” She chuckled and looked down, shaking her head. She looked back up to see Nicole’s dimpled smile. “Girlfriend?” She asked.

Nicole nodded happily, “Girlfriend.” She watched Waverly’s eyes light up. Her insides felt full, but in the best way, like all the mishaps had been leading up to this. Maybe they both stumbled over their words sometimes, but nothing was ever 100% perfect. The imperfections are what makes something perfect. Something, so, so perfect. “Now,” Nicole stepped a bit closer to Waverly, “Can I kiss you?”

“Oh, Nicole,” Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, “I think we’re a bit past that.” She pulled the redhead closer and locked their lips together, just as soft as Nicole imagined. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiyaaa, thank u all for reading as usual and also thank you for all the sweet comments!! it makes me so fricken happy


	9. cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly have a night in together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only proofread this about five times and didn't review it a sixth before posting bc im in a bad mood sorry if there are any typos

_ ULTRARED RETURNS FROM HIATUS! _

_ SUPERHERO BACK ON THE JOB AND BETTER THAN EVER! _

_ ULTRARED NOT DEAD! _

_ YOUR FAVORITE REDHEADED SUPERHERO IS BACK IN ACTION! _

 

-

 

Nicole was off probation, and crimes came at her one after the other over the course of the next two and a half weeks. Her bruises and scrapes returned and her limp reappeared. She loved her break, but a part of her missed being out and risking herself for others. She missed the adrenaline and even the pain it brought along. It meant she was doing good for the world. 

“Nicole, are you okay?” Waverly asked as Nicole sat down next to her. 

“Yeah,” Nicole nodded, “Cleo, again.” She lied, “I love her, but she needs to stop chasing squirrels while I’m holding the leash.” 

“Maybe I can take the leash next time,” Waverly said, “Maybe... we could hang out tonight, have a movie night.” She grabbed Nicole’s hand and laced their fingers together, “I don’t like when you’re hurt.” She furrowed her eyebrows. A part of her speculated that Nicole was lying, but the other part of her was certain that Nicole would never lie to her. “Or sometime this weekend, if you’re not free tonight.”

“I’d love a movie night.” Nicole said, “I don’t think I have plans, but I’ll double check and text you.”

“Cool,” Waverly studied Nicole’s face as she moved, noticing how she winced. She rubbed her thumb over Nicole’s knuckles, which also had a few scrapes on them. “Nicole, are you sure you’re okay? I can bring you home.”

“I’m alright, Waves, really.” She replied, “I can move.”

“Barely,” Waverly sighed as the bell rang. She gave Nicole a quick kiss on the temple, “Text me if you need anything, okay?” She stood up and grabbed her bag, then helping Nicole up as well. 

“I will, thank you.” Nicole managed a smile. 

Waverly nodded and gave her hand one last gentle squeeze before walking to her class, one of which she didn’t have with Nicole. She sat in the back of her physics class and pulled out her phone, being sure not to get caught as she sent a quick text to Nicole.

_ WAVERLY: i’m worried about you. _

_ NICOLE: don’t be, i promise i’m alright. <3 _

_ WAVERLY: u sure? i am more than willing to take us both home so i can take care of you. _

_ NICOLE: you can do so tonight :) we are on for movie night. come in your pajamas.  _

Waverly smiled at her phone.

_ WAVERLY: will do :)  _

_ NICOLE: also, you’re free to sleep over after! please do, actually.  _

_ WAVERLY: you’re crazy if you thought i wasn’t sleeping over. i am not leaving you while you’re in pain.  _

_ NICOLE: of course. _

_ WAVERLY: well, i am going to die if i get caught, so, i’ll see you next period. <3 _

_ NICOLE: see ya <3 _

Waverly slipped her phone back in her pocket, ever so thankful for her spot in the back of the class. She was free to text, and then pretend to be taking her notes when she was actually drawing. She didn’t worry, though. Somehow, she understood exactly what was being taught, and teachers typically loved her. 

Ever so slowly, the class passed and she rushed her way to English, quickly moving two seats up so that she could sit right behind Nicole. She set her stuff at the desk as the person who  _ actually _ sat there walked in. 

“That’s my-” 

“I know.” Waverly told him, “Would you mind switching with me today?” She needed to be next to Nicole. She was so concerned about her, and something was telling her that she wasn’t hurt just because of Cleo, but the other part of her was sure that Nicole wouldn’t lie. 

He shrugged, “Guess so.”

“Thanks,” She smiled with relief and slid into the seat, anxiously waiting to see Nicole’s face again. She was so worried about her; she wanted the constant clarification that she was okay. 

Nicole slowly made her way into the classroom, furrowing her eyebrows when she saw Waverly in Perry’s usual seat. She sat down and turned to whisper to Waverly, with a small, sympathetic smile, “I’m okay.”

“Should I go back to my seat?” Waverly sighed, hoping Nicole didn’t think she was a creepy girlfriend who cared way too much. 

Nicole chuckled and shook her head, “I think you’re alright here,” She winked. She liked knowing Waverly was looking out for her, and if she needed to just slouch back in her chair like always just to let Waverly know she was okay, she would. 

Waverly grinned as Nicole turned back around. She took the chance to turn around and thank Perry once more, who couldn’t really care less what seat he was sitting in. As long as he had a seat to sit in, he was fine. He and Waverly had done a project before, too, so he didn’t mind. 

Waverly ripped out a piece of paper and started a doodle for Nicole. She drew her standing in a superhero position, a flannel blowing off her shoulders revealing a shirt with a the Superman ‘S’ on it. She drew Nicole’s classic cuffed jeans and converse, then added a few colorful doodles behind her. 

_ SUPERHAUGHT. because ur super hot… you know? xoxo waves _ .

She folded it and waited for the teacher to turn around before she tossed it on Nicole’s desk. Nicole grinned and slowly unfolded it, silently chukling when she saw the drawing Waverly had done of her. It was incredible, as her drawings always are, but Waverly didn’t know that Nicole had seen her drawings before. 

Nicole ripped a small piece of paper and wrote on it  _ “amazing job. you are also super hot.” _ She folded it and tossed it back, hearing Waverly giggle when she got it. Waverly wrote back a quick  _ “thanks xx” _ and passed it back. She then watched as Nicole put the drawing and the note in the front of her binder before opening back up to take notes. 

 

-

 

Nicole showered as soon as she got home, then got into pajama shorts and an old Rolling Stones shirt. She brushed through her wavy red hair, then waited for the text from Waverly that meant she was here. In the meantime, she tidied up the living room and threw a few blankets and pillows out on the couch, then pulling up Netflix on the television. She grabbed a few snacks that she bought on the way home and laid them out on the table, then hearing her phone buzz. She ran over to it and smiled when she saw Waverly was here. 

“Knock knock,” Waverly walked in with a smile, “Anyone home?”

“Hey!” Nicole called from the kitchen, pouring chips into a bowl. 

“Woah,” Waverly set her bag down by the couch and walked over to Nicole, “You know how to throw a movie night.” 

“I sure do,” Nicole leaned to her left as Waverly pressed a kiss to her cheek, “What are you in the mood for?” She asked. 

“Anything,” Waverly replied, “Also, I think I hear a certain puppy coming this way,” She looked over and saw Cleo running towards her. She bent down and laughed, “So, you’re the famous Cleo!” She scratched behind the pitbull’s ears, earning a lick to the nose. Nicole’s heart seemed to have burst at the sight of her two favorite girls finally meeting. She took a quick picture on her phone, then putting it down and starting to eat a few of the snacks as she listened to Waverly talk to her dog. 

“You’ve got muscles just like Nicole, don’t you?” Waverly pet all over the dog, now being a bit more convinced that it could pull Nicole down. Nicole blushed at the comment, feeling a bit more secure in her muscularity. Cleo loved new people, but seeing how much she loved Waverly right away made her heart swell with adoration for the two. 

She took a few snacks to the couch and set them down, then pulling up a movie to watch. She chose a random one she found on her recommended, then set the remote down. 

“Waves,” She called, hating to break up the two, but wanting to actually start the movie. 

“Coming,” Waverly skipped over to Nicole and plopped down on the couch, “How are you feeling, by the way?” She asked as Nicole sat next to her. 

“I’m alright,” She replied, even though she was still limping, and the bruises on her arms were completely visible with her lack of a jacket. She got under a blanket and felt Waverly grab her hand underneath it, causing her to smile. Calamity Jane soon jumped on the couch with them, to which Waverly already earned the love from. The cat immediately nuzzled against her and got settled in her lap as Waverly pet it. 

“Already a member of the family,” Nicole chuckled, “I’m surprised. She doesn’t even interact with my parents.”

“What can I say,” Waverly flipped her hair, “You Haught’s have a type.”

Nicole laughed and reached over to pet Calamity Jane with Waverly. 

Toward the middle of the movie, Nicole got that familiar beep in her ear. She flinched with surprise, but played it off by shifting under the blanket. In front of her she read:

INCIDENT: CAT STUCK IN TREE

VICTIM: MABEL JOHNSON’S CAT, SNOWFLAKE

Classic. Nicole didn’t think things like this even happened in real life. Thankfully, though, Mabel lived only a street down.

She bit her lip as she looked at Waverly, not wanting to leave her. Her mind going a mile a minute, she decided she could fight this without becoming Ultrared. She could get the cat as Nicole, and take Waverly with her, even. 

“Hey, Waves,” Nicole said, “Let’s go for a walk.”

“A walk? We’re watching a movie.” Waverly laughed lightly as she looked at Nicole, who looked like she really did want to go for a walk. 

“We can come back. You said you wanted to walk Cleo, anyway.” The redhead smiled pleadingly, “Please?”

“Nicole, you are in no condition to be taking a walk.” Waverly told her sincerely, even if she really did want to take Cleo for a walk with Nicole. Nicole took matters into her own hands. She stood up and called for Cleo then grabbed her leash, which made the dog jump in excitement, happy to go for a walk with her favorite person. 

“Can’t get out of it now,” She winked at Waverly, who laughed and shook her head, taking the leash and walking out with her girlfriend. Nicole started walking quickly toward where she knew the cat was, and she planned to pretend to just come across it and help. She looked back at Waverly and Cleo, both of them looking like the happiest beings in the world. Waverly never had pets at home, so she was living the dream at Nicole’s house. 

They got to the street and Nicole pretended to be surprised, “Oh no, Snowflake is stuck in the tree.” She pointed, “I’m going to go help.”

“Nicole, please don’t hurt yourself,” Waverly sighed as she saw Nicole run off. She noticed the redhead was acting a bit jumpy, but brushed it off. Maybe Nicole’s intuition just let her know something was wrong in the neighborhood. She kept walking Cleo, since they were pretty behind. She watched as Nicole pulled herself into the tree, getting up to the white cat. 

Nicole calmly pet it, then letting it jump into her arms, “Good, girl,” She carefully climbed down the tree, being sure not to drop the cat. She hopped down onto the floor and pet it as it purred in her arms. She looked up at Mabel who looked as if her own life had been saved. 

“Thank you so much, Nicole. I can always count on you, can’t I?” She pinched Nicole’s cheek as she laughed. 

“No problem, Ms. Johnson.” She smiled, always having had a close relationship to the old woman. 

“You’re such a good kid. Thank you again.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nicole handed Snowflake back, “Have a nice night, Ms. Johnson.”

“You too, Nicole.” Mabel smiled and walked back to her house as Nicole made her way back to Waverly and Cleo. She grabbed Waverly’s hand as they continued their walk. 

“What a hero,” Waverly told her, “Literally.” She had no idea how literal she was being, which only made Nicole laugh more. It surprised the redhead that she even got away with it in the first place. It wasn’t the first time she had helped a citizen out of costume. Things that aren’t too severe, she prefers to handle as Nicole rather than Ultrared. Sometimes it’s nice to remind herself that she’s a normal human, rather than just a superhero. 

Waverly admired the bravery of her girlfriend, but couldn’t help but to think how peculiar it was that Nicole was in the right place at the right time. She figured it was just luck, but a part of her was skeptical. She shook her head. Chance is a thing that exists. She tripped over Nicole’s foot by chance, they met by chance, and Nicole was here by chance. It was all just everything falling into place. 

The two arrived back at Nicole’s house and gave Cleo some water. At this point, Nicole’s parents were home, so she figured she should just bring the movies up to her room. 

“Are you going to introduce us to your friend, Nicole?” Her mom asked with a polite smile, happy that Nicole found someone to hang out with. 

Nicole was in the midst of bringing blankets and snacks upstairs, “Her name is Waverly!” She shouted as she ran up; her leg ached but she ignored it so she could get up to her room as fast as possible. 

“Nice to meet you, Waverly,” Nicole’s mom told the brunette, who was still at the bottom of the stairs. 

“You too, Mrs. Haught,” She smiled. 

“You can call me Carrie,” She told her, speculating anyway that she and Nicole had something going on. The only thing stopping her from investigating was that she wanted Nicole to enjoy herself while she could, and she knew her daughter would come to her when she was ready. It wasn’t new to her parents that Nicole liked girls, and both Nathan and Carrie knew there were much bigger problems in the world than if their daughter was gay. 

Waverly smiled and nodded before running upstairs to Nicole, finding her in her room, resetting up the movie. She looked around, seeing comic books on the shelf, and a few different gadgets here and there. In the corner was a shelf with the books, along with trophies and quite a few Rubik’s Cubes, varying in shapes, sizes, and designs. She smiled as she looked around, then looking left at a desk. She saw papers scattered over it, mostly homework and notes, then seeing a familiar drawing. She furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to it, picking it up from underneath other papers. It was an old drawing she had done of Ultrared. Her heart stopped beating and she took in a sharp breath as tears pricked at her eyes. She was insecure about people seeing her drawings, especially those that she knew never got out. However, she knew  _ this _ was the one that Ultrared took with her. 

“Nicole?” She said softly, a small crack in her voice.

Nicole whipped her head around, heart shattering when she saw what Waverly was holding. She felt the whole world crash around her. Of course, she was too dumb to put that in a safe place. In her defense, she never thought she would get this far with Waverly, so what was the point in hiding it?

“How do you have this?” Waverly showed it to her, “I- I drew this.”

“And it’s amazing,” Nicole could barely breathe, “And I can explain, if you just give me thirty seconds.”

“You have twenty.” Waverly huffed, tears now escaping the corners of her eyes. Nicole nodded and quickly shut the door. She took a few breaths and put her hand on her necklace, pressing into it with her thumb. On cue, she started suiting up, her skin started to glow, and there were still tears in the suit from her last expedition. She ran her hand through her hair and it braided itself back as she did so. Her mask secured itself, but she took it off, just so Waverly knew it was her. 

Waverly backed against the door, not sure whether to be terrified and run, or stay and be thankful. Her fight or flight was pulsing at flight, but it was like she was stuck in her spot, unable to move. 

“I only needed fifteen seconds, I guess.” Nicole bit her lip and sat down on her bed, “I’m sorry. I’m sure you can understand why I didn’t tell you, though… right?” She had never been more nervous in all her life. Every defense mechanism she had was glitching, like she just wasn’t able to ever handle a situation like this. She just wasn’t strong enough.

Waverly nodded, still trying to breathe properly, “I can understand. I just- I need a bit.” She set the drawing back down on the desk, and sat next to Nicole, running her hands over the tears, which were right where Nicole was bruised or scratched. 

“Waverly, I am so sorry.” Nicole took her hair out the braid and let it fall, needing something to cover her face. 

Waverly needed more time. She couldn’t just see her girlfriend turn into  _ this _ and stay. She needed time to think over it. She stood up, “I’ll see you Monday, okay?”

Nicole wasn’t even going to attempt to argue. She just sighed and nodded, used to people leaving her as soon as they found out a certain thing about her, whether it be about sexuality or superpowers or anything in between. 

Waverly stood for a second longer before pressing a kiss to Nicole’s temple and leaving as respectfully fast as she possibly could. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys, update on school, it's garbage and i feel like shit lmao
> 
> tw, ig: draghaught


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole suffers the grief of her identity being revealed to waverly.

Monday came, but Waverly never showed up. Then came Tuesday and Wednesday, both with no sign of the brunette. Nicole sat alone against her locker, barely having the energy to move once the bells rang. She messed things up again. Everything was her fault again.

_ NICOLE: waverly, i’m so sorry. i want to give you the time you need, but i know we should probably talk about this, and i’m willing to whenever you’re ready.  _

Nicole sighed, not expecting a text back any time soon. Waverly didn’t seem angry with her, but that doesn’t mean that she wasn’t. Nicole understood that it was a lot to take in, and that she had to respect Waverly’s privacy no matter how much she wanted to talk to her and explain everything as soon as possible. She understood that Waverly may feel a bit betrayed or exposed, even if Nicole was the one who revealed herself. 

Waverly sat at home, still wrapping her head around everything. Since leaving Nicole’s on Friday, she hadn’t really moved or spoke. She was at a standstill. Of course, every bone in her body wanted to talk to Nicole again, but it’s like she couldn’t bring herself to it. She could only sit and think about everything in terms of Ultrared, rather than in terms of Nicole. She wasn’t angry about dating a superhero, in fact, that was the plus side to the situation. What held her back was the fear of the unknown. She was clueless as to what everything meant. She knew she could ask Nicole all the questions she had, but a part of her was scared to know the truth, too. She was scared of what she didn’t know, but scared to learn it. If the universe kept throwing things at her, though, she would have to take it. 

_ My girlfriend is a superhero who I happen to admire. She saw all my drawings. She knew what happened on the day with Champ and Tucker, yet she lied and pretended she didn’t. She still cares, though, right? Even though she was there to make sure I was okay, she still asked if I was. Was she protecting herself or her identity, though? And does that even matter in this situation now?  _

_ Everything she did that I thought was weird: was it to protect her or me? I guess it doesn’t really matter. She had to protect herself, right?  _

Waverly sighed and put a pillow over her face, clenching her eyes shut. She wished her brain could just shut off for a bit and give her some time to  _ actually _ relax. Her thoughts were surprisingly in order in comparison to what they looked like when she left Nicole’s. She was able to settle them, though, one step at a time. 

Nicole was both protecting herself and Waverly. She was protecting herself from exposing her own identity, clearly not having a choice in doing so. She was protecting Waverly from having her whole world flipped on her. Now that Waverly knows of who Nicole is, she had a billion more things to worry about, even if all the worry was for Nicole’s safety. She now also had a secret to keep to protect her girlfriend, and Nicole didn’t want that kind of pressure on her. It was enough pressure on Nicole alone, and now Waverly has to conceal that she’s in a relationship with a girl, and that girl is a superhero. 

Thinking about it, Waverly now felt even more stressed out about that last part. She’d always known she liked girls, but no one knew except for Nicole, which was obvious. She wasn’t afraid to tell Wynonna, it was just the fact of ruining the image that Wynonna already had of her. She was still the same person, but she didn’t want Wynonna to have to relearn her just upon finding out she wasn’t straight. 

This wasn’t a problem to be dealt with now, though. Right now, she was stuck with the task at hand, and she didn’t need coming out problems to interfere when unnecessary. 

_ WAVERLY: i know. it’s okay.  _

Nicole pulled her phone out as soon as she felt it vibrate. She discreetly slipped it into her lap, reading the text from Waverly. She inaudibly sighed, not getting a clear answer in those four words. Four words that just screamed that Waverly wasn’t okay. 

_ NICOLE: so we’ll talk about it?  _

_ WAVERLY: yes.  _

_ NICOLE: … and when would that be? i want to give you time, waverly, but the longer we wait, the worse it’s going to get.  _

_ WAVERLY: i don’t know. soon. _

_ NICOLE: alright. you’re okay, though, right? i mean in general.  _

_ WAVERLY: i’m alright. you? _

_ NICOLE: yeah. bruised.  _

_ WAVERLY: and i’m assuming the bruises aren’t from cleo, are they? _

_ NICOLE: … nope.  _

_ WAVERLY: you blamed the dog. _

_ NICOLE: i know, i know. she doesn’t deserve that. _

_ WAVERLY: at least you’re aware. now pay attention in class, haught. i’ll see you later. _

_ NICOLE: later. _

Nicole put her phone back in her pocket. She took the whole Cleo part as Waverly attempting to tease her, which was a good sign. She’s sure her girlfriend would probably lecture her about safety later, but for now, she would let Waverly tease her as much as she wanted if it would make her feel better. She couldn’t imagine what Waverly was thinking. She was sure she was distraught, but apparently well enough to tease her about blaming her injuries on her dog. Either way, she was certain that she was in trouble: with herself, with Waverly, with the world. 

Waverly had picked up on Nicole’s habit of fidgeting with a Rubik’s Cube to calm her. Seeing everything fall in place gave her a sense of grounding. It made her feel a bit more stable when she saw everything come together. To her dismay, though, the last algorithms to the last layer slipped her mind. She kept getting up to the solving point and everything would fall apart. She started over and over, but kept messing up the last pattern. In anger, she threw the half-solved cube to the ground, just in sync with another loud crash coming from the living room. 

Nicole sat alone on the ground in front her locker during lunch. She watched students pass her, trotting in groups to the cafeteria, some running to catch up with other groups. She bit into her apple and put her head back down, entertaining herself with a book while she waited for the time to pass. 

“Where’s Waverly been, huh?” Champ hovered over her, “Ever since she’s been talking to you, she’s been off the radar.” He bent down and grabbed the collar of Nicole’s shirt, “What did you do to her?”

Nicole swallowed her hitching breath and put up the calmest facade she could manage, “It’s none of your business where she’s been. I haven’t done anything to her.” She still held her breath as he tightened his grip and pulled her forward. 

“Well, if you took her away from me, you’re gonna bring her back, dy-” 

“Waverly doesn’t belong to anyone,” Nicole brought her knee up to hit Champ right in his lower abdomen, “She’ll hang out with who she wants to hang out with.” Her blood boiled. She was in too much of a mess right now to tolerate Champ Hardy’s bullshit, especially if the bullshit he spewed was about Waverly, who he apparently thought he owned. 

Before he could say anything else to her, his group of friends walked by and he caught up with them, not without giving Nicole a glare as he stood up. The redhead sat back against her locker, straightening out her shirt and pulling out a cube to solve. The anxiety she felt made her hands move at an inhumane speed as she solved, causing the cube’s gears to snap, the pieces of the cube coming apart and falling into her lap. It wasn’t the first time this happened, but the timing for this split was not ideal. She sighed and started throwing the pieces in her bag, planning to clean up later.

As she grabbed a handful, a painful buzz went off in her ear. She clenched her fist, the corners of the plastic pieces digging into her palm. She winced and shook her head as it faded, looking up to see what the problem was this time. 

INCIDENT: THREATENED MURDER

WEAPONS: GUN, POCKET KNIFE

VICTIM: WAVERLY EARP, EARP HOMESTEAD

 

\--

 

Waverly’s head shot up at the sudden noise. She grabbed her phone and slowly stood up, careful not to make a sound as she walked to her closed bedroom door. She put her ear to the door and heard a few footsteps from the living room, along with objects being moved about. She assumed Wynonna had come home and was looking for something, but she could never be too cautious. The door squeaked as she opened it; she stopped in her tracks, trying desperately to slip through the small opening she’d made. She held her breath and creeped through, but something pulled her to make the door squeak again. She frantically looked down and saw a thread from the pajamas she was still wearing got caught on the door. She quietly pried it off and crept down the hall, her footsteps barely making a sound.

More rummaging came from the living room, but it was loud. Angry, even. She poked her head around the corner, hoping to find Wynonna, but only being met with someone she’d never seen before, but she could assume it was a local. She looked to the shelf next to her, grabbed a trophy and holding it in her hand as she walked further out.

“Hey!” She yelled, holding the trophy forward as if it were a gun, as if it could actually do anything to protect her. 

The man turned around, a real gun being whipped out in the process, “Tell me where your sister is, and this will all be over soon.” His finger rested on the trigger, threatening to pull it. He looked ruthless, and his words- his tone- reflected just that.

“I- I don’t know where she is.” Waverly slowly put her hands up, “But you aren’t going to touch her.” She kept her breathing as slow as possible, but a tear running down her cheek damaged her tough act. She’d never felt so much fear in her life, and she definitely didn’t need this fear  _ now _ . The only thing she needed now was silence, but the universe was sure to give that to her on any other day except for the day she actually needed it.

The man pulled the trigger, a bullet cutting right past Waverly’s ear and shattering a picture frame behind her, “That’s a lie.” He walked up closer to her, “Tell me where your sister is.”

Waverly could still hear the whistle of the bullet passing her. Her tears fell freely, but she didn’t let her posture fault for a second. “I told you I don’t know where she is.”

“You want to do this the hard way, don’t you?” He aimed the gun directly at her, but she didn’t move. Her feet were glued to the ground, and her whole world came to a stop. She closed her eyes and took a breath, hoping that she’d open them to find that it was all a dream. However, she only opened to see the nightmare even closer to her, the gun staring directly at her, taunting her. 

“She doesn’t,” Someone pushed down the door as another gunshot went off, “But I can take it.” She dodged the bullet, and the other one that came flying her way.

“I don’t need your help!” Waverly told the hero, “I was doing just fine.”

“Sure,” Ultrared ran to Waverly as another bullet was sent flying. The redhead was hit right on the shoulder, but she didn’t flinch. She clenched her fists and made her way toward the perpetrator, taking his gun out of his hand and crushing it in hers. While doing so, she took a kick to the stomach, which she only flipped around. She took his leg in her hand and flipped him over, nailing him to the ground. She put a foot to his chest, “Guess  _ you _ were the one who did things the hard way.” She knelt down and balled his shirt in her fist, keeping him pinned to the ground. His arms were sent flying to try and hurt Ultrared, but she just took every hit. She let him think he was winning by hitting her until she lifted her fist, pushing out a surge of blue energy into his chest. 

The man watched as a surging ball of blue light came for him, his head hitting the ground hard as it hit him right in the heart. 

Waverly sat against the wall and watched. She wanted to help, but this wasn’t a situation in which she could. She just stared in fear, watching her hero take the pain for her. She hated that she had to sit and watch Nicole get hurt over and over. She hated that it was her job to get hurt over and over. But she could be the one to patch her up over and over. She would help her heal one crime after another, and she promised that to herself. 

The cops took over from there, leaving a superhero still crouched on the ground with Waverly still cowered against the wall. Ultrared let out a breath that she was holding. She peeled off her mask and set it down before moving over to Waverly. She sat on her knees in front of her and took her hair out the braid, “Hey, it’s me.” 

Waverly nodded, “I know, Nicole.”

“And I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Waverly shook her head and took one of Nicole’s hands in her own, “I should be sorry. I pushed you out just because I didn’t like the idea of you getting hurt,” She chuckled to herself, still sniffling, “It sounds so stupid now that I say it out loud.”

Nicole shook her head, “No, no, it’s not stupid. I get it.” She looked down, absorbing the silence between them, “Are you okay?”

Waverly nodded, “I’m okay. I’m okay now.” She let a soft smile grow as she looked into Nicole’s eyes, feeling comforted by their softness. She was amazed at how she could just be so tough, and then soften up as soon as she sat next to her. Waverly looked over Nicole, the suit still tight on her body, pieces fraying off at some edges. She looked over her, then seeing the hole in her shoulder, “Nicole,” She gently placed her hand over it, “You got shot.”

“It’s okay,” Nicole said, “I’m not worried about that.” She had encountered bullet wounds before, which she knew was unhealthy, but she healed nonetheless. 

“I am,” Waverly cupped her face, “We’re taking you to a hospital.” She ran her hand through Nicole’s hair, “I wish I could say that I’d never let this happen again.”

“I know that you would prevent it if you could. That’s what counts.” Nicole told her, putting a hand on Waverly’s, “I’m okay, though.”

“You shot that guy.” Waverly felt herself smile more, “I don’t know with what, but you shot him.” 

Nicole smiled softly, “I would shoot anybody for you.”

Waverly felt herself pulling Nicole closer, letting their foreheads touch. “That’s really sweet.” She let their eyes meet once before hers fell shut as she pressed her lips to Nicole’s, taking in that grounding feeling that meant everything was in place again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiiii idk what to say so im just gonna plug my socials
> 
> tw: draghaught  
> ig: draghaught


	11. healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole recovers from wounds encountered, and waverly is there to help.

Upon Waverly’s orders, Nicole was resting in bed with ice atop her shoulder, a sparkly band-aid in between her skin and the ice pack. Nicole refused to let a doctor help her when she had been healing herself fine, so Waverly at least bought her a new pack of band-aids to help. The redhead’s face was still bruised, along with most of the rest of her body. She was healing, though. She was going to rest.

Since the incident that put her in the hospital, her parents had been much more conscious of just how much work Nicole was doing. In times of healing, they shut her necklace’s abilities off, and they were going to take care of anything they could in the meantime. That meant Nicole was alone at home a bit more often, but she didn’t mind the quiet. It gave her time to properly rest, maybe actually sleep, which she had definitely taken advantage of.

Waverly pulled up to Nicole’s house and let herself in, seeing that her parents’ cars weren’t in the driveway. She walked upstairs and crept into Nicole’s room, seeing her asleep, holding a stuffed animal that Waverly had gotten her with the band-aids. It calmed Waverly to see Nicole asleep. She just wanted to see her resting. So often, Nicole put her own life on the line for someone else’s, and in this moment, Waverly was finally certain that she was okay. She was okay just laying down, breathing slow, hopefully having blissful dreams.

Waverly sat on the other side of Nicole’s bed and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She refrained from touching her anymore, despite how much she just wanted to reach forward and hug her. If affection could heal wounds, Nicole would be better in no time. Waverly knew that wasn’t how things worked, though. In this case, affection would probably hurt Nicole even more, and she didn’t want to risk that.

Nicole felt the bed dip, but it took her a few long moments to come to. Once she did, she felt Waverly’s presence. Without seeing her, she could feel her there, and she instantly felt safe. Slowly, her eyes opened to look at Waverly sitting above her, turning her head to smile down at her.

“Hey,” The brunette smiled softly, “How are you feeling?” She ran her hand through Nicole’s hair as she sat up.

Nicole shrugged to the best of her ability, leaning her head against Waverly’s shoulder. She was never one to want someone else’s presence to feel safe. She wanted to be the safety to others, but now Waverly was hers, too.

She was unaware of how nice it felt to not worry, to know that someone else had your back. She no longer beat herself up for feeling security around Waverly. Now she took it all in, cherishing every moment she had with a steady heartbeat and with a hand holding her own.

Waverly rubbed her thumb over Nicole’s hand as she held it gently, treating Nicole with the most delicacy she’d ever treated anything with. She was as fragile as glass, but softer than a feather. Behind all the fighting and the super-persona was the most gentle girl that Waverly had ever met.

“Are you alright with me staying with you for the weekend?” Waverly asked, “I just don’t want you to be alone. I want to make sure you’re okay.” Even if Nicole said no for some reason, Waverly would be sure to at least check up on her all throughout the day. She wasn’t going to let Nicole handle this alone. It was Waverly’s life she saved, so Waverly needed to save hers back, or at least get her in the condition to save her again.

Nicole nodded, “Please,” She was silent for a moment longer, “Also, you can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“About _us_?” Waverly was fine with people knowing about them, but if Nicole didn’t want it, she would respect that. She always expected it to be the other way around, but as long as Nicole was comfortable, she would respect that.

“No,” Nicole let out a soft chuckle, “Not about us. About me. Ultrared… and stuff.”

“I know,” Waverly nodded, “I wasn’t planning on it. I’ve seen movies before,” She joked, causing Nicole to laugh for a second. “And what about us?” Waverly was surprised to find that she _wanted_ people to know about her and Nicole; she actually wanted to show her off.

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Nicole replied, “And as long as you want me, I will be by your side.” Nicole gave Waverly’s hand a gentle squeeze. Without her powers to help speed the healing process, she was experiencing true physical weakness. She was pushing through, though. And after this weekend, she would have her necklace back so she could at least have the strength to attend school. Right now, though, Waverly was her strength, and she was just fine allowing herself to be weak this time. She learned that she couldn’t be tough all the time. Even superheroes have days where they can’t get out of bed. Even superheroes needed support from others because as strong as they are, no one can do anything alone.

“What comes next?” Waverly asked, “I just have to watch you get hurt over and over?” The thought sounded insane to her. She was barely able to withstand seeing Nicole the way she was now. Obviously, she would be there to care for her every time, but she hated that she couldn’t do anything to stop her from getting hurt in the first place.

“I wish I could tell you that wasn’t true,” Nicole sat up to look at Waverly, “But as much as I’ll get hurt, I will always be okay. And you’re always going to be okay, too. And this isn’t going to stop me from taking you on dates, or having movie nights, or anything like that.” Nicole smiled encouragingly, wanting Waverly to feel lifted, rather than put down by the fact that her girlfriend was something greater.

Waverly let herself smile back as she looked down at their still intertwined hands. She found it hard to keep a smile on her face when she saw the bruises that were still on Nicole’s knuckles, but she was going to stay positive, not only for herself, but for Nicole. She looked back up at her girlfriend, “I’d like that. And it won’t stop me from continuing to fall for you, or from taking _you_ on dates, too.”

“I’d like that,” Nicole repeated, smiling as Waverly brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear and kissed her.

 

-

 

On Monday, Nicole was back at school, now having her necklace with her so she could withstand the pain while she was there. She sat against her locker, taking out a book to read until Waverly arrived. She was surprised at how swiftly they’d gotten by, only having one mishap with a comment from Champ. She assumed it was because Waverly was loved by virtually everyone at school, teachers included. People knew she was the nicest person you’d ever meet, and they treated her as such. Some people took that for granted, but overall, she was who everyone treated nicely.

“Hey you,” Waverly bent in front of Nicole, pulling the book back a bit so they could see each other.

“Hey,” Nicole smiled and put her book up, moving over a few inches for Waverly to sit next to her. She moved her bag aside as well, watching as Waverly sat down and handed her a folded piece of pink paper.

“What’s this?” Nicole chuckled as she unfolded it, seeing it was an announcement for the Winter Formal Dance that was coming up. She now remembered seeing a few around the halls when she walked in, but she didn’t pay much interest to them. Reading over the paper, she laughed lightly. It was endearing that Waverly was treating this as if Nicole would actually attend; she found it cute, actually. It made her smile.

“You’re not saying anything,” Waverly bit her lip, “Nicole, you are going to do this for me.”

“Waves, I would do a lot of things to you, but this is not it, babe.” She laughed, folding the paper back up.

“ _F-for_ me.” Waverly watched Nicole’s hands as they folded the paper back into place, quickly averting her eyes back up to Nicole’s, who were looking down at the paper.

Nicole realized what she’d said and her eyes went wide as she looked up, avoiding eye contact with Waverly. “Yep, that too.” She handed the pink paper back to Waverly, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Waverly sighed, still recovering from the comment that Nicole would do a lot of _things_ to her. She wasn’t opposed to those things being done, but the thing she truly wanted right now was to go to Winter Formal with her girlfriend. “Why not?”

“It’s just… not my thing.” Nicole replied. She’d never been out to anything, really, minus holidays with her family. Other than that, which didn’t really count, she had never been out to anything like a school dance or party. Even just the mere idea of being dressed up in a room full of people with loud, pounding music frightened her. Thinking about it, her jaw clenched, and she had to quickly shake the idea to get out of the situation.

“It could be fun,” Waverly handed the paper back to Nicole, “Think about it, okay?”

Nicole sighed, deciding nodding would be a better option than to tell Waverly that she’d already made up her mind. She didn’t want to crush Waverly like that after seeing her so excited about the dance. She decided on making up an excuse later, or just avoiding the topic altogether. Of course, in her perfect world, she would love to dress up and go out with Waverly. But something just always held her back. She couldn’t bring herself to try and have a good time, and maybe it was because something always ruined it. At the best of times, something always came in to turn everything around. Nothing was ever enjoyable. Nicole always felt on edge, just waiting for a disaster to happen whenever she felt happy.

Waverly noticed Nicole’s fading expression as she slowly put the folded pink paper in her bag. She rested her hand on Nicole’s shoulder and gently rubbed it, “Hey,” She said calmly, “If you don’t want to go, that’s okay. I don’t want to put you in a situation you don’t want to be in. I get it.” She loved dances herself, but more importantly than that, she wanted Nicole to feel safe and comfortable. She would give up Winter Formal for a night with Nicole any day. It wasn’t like she hadn’t gone the past three years anyway. It would mean the world to her to go with Nicole their senior year, but she could live without it. Nicole had to put up with too much to have Waverly drag her along to something she didn’t want to be at, and Waverly was aware of that.

“It’s okay, Waves.” Nicole rezipped her bag back up, “Really. I’ll think about it.” Nicole took it into the least bit of consideration rather than shutting it out entirely. For Waverly, she would try. Waverly was putting up with the superhero situation, so maybe Nicole could put up with a school dance for one night. Maybe she just cared so much about Waverly that as long as she was with her, she knew the night couldn’t be so bad. Hell, Waverly wanted them to go _together_ , as a couple, and Nicole wanted nothing more than that. She just had to get past what was holding her back.

“No pressure, okay?” Waverly told her, with all the sincerity in the world.

Nicole nodded, “And even if I don’t go, I want you to go. This is your thing.”

“Maybe.” Waverly looked up as the bell rang and sighed, “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Later,” Nicole grabbed her things and they walked their separate ways. If she was without worry, she would be more than happy to attend the dance, but there was this constant, poking insecurity. She knew she was scared of something happening, but there was something else bothering her that she just couldn’t place. Whatever it was, though, she pushed it back. The dance wasn’t for another three weeks, and she didn’t have time to stress over it. In the meantime, she would cringe at the guys asking the girls in the most over-the-top ways and secretly wish to be just as cringeworthy with Waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this was shorter than usual! 
> 
> tw: draghaught  
> ig: draghaught


	12. sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole goes over to waverly's early before school and they watch the sunrise.

Nicole had barely slept the past few nights. She felt as though every time she shut her eyes, she was called to save someone else. After her third call that night, she decided it was pointless to try to fall back asleep. She got back home at five in the morning, and school would start in three hours anyway. In the meantime, she stared up at the ceiling, just praying for another lousy Thursday. She had no idea just how refreshing it was to have a boring weekday, one where everything was dull and you barely even laughed the whole day. She ached for those days now. As a kid, she’d wish for something crazy to happen to keep her from doing school work, but now the most crazy thing she’d wish for was a thunderstorm. She appreciated the little out-of-place things like bad weather because her whole life was an out-of-place thing. She was sure she was the only person who just prayed for normality in her life.

That’s why her relationship with Waverly was so important to her. It was normal; it was everything she’d ever wanted. It made her feel fluttery inside, and it made her smile, just the way a relationship should make someone feel. It was just what Nicole needed to stay grounded, not to mention how much she appreciated the relationship regardless.

_WAVERLY: good morning, beautiful! :)_

Nicole furrowed her eyebrows and let her eyes adjust to the brightness of her phone screen. She had set a custom vibration for Waverly on her phone, and she was sure that was it, but she was confused as to why Waverly would even be awake at this time. Looking at the text, the confusion remained, but it brought an exhausted smile to her face, lifting her spirits.

_NICOLE: what are you doing awake?_

_WAVERLY: wow… no good morning?_

_NICOLE: i can’t say this morning was good, but good morning <3 _

_NICOLE: better?_

_WAVERLY: yes, much better. and i’m sorry :( anything i can do?_

_NICOLE: i wish there was. anyway, why are you up so early?_

_WAVERLY: i woke up for some reason, then decided to watch the sunrise._

_NICOLE: guess i can watch it, too._

_WAVERLY: we can watch it together. if you’re up for it… there’s about thirty minutes before it rises… come over?_

_NICOLE: the things you make me do, waverly earp. be there in ten. don’t expect me to look very hot._

_WAVERLY: you always do xx see you then ;)_

Nicole chuckled and shook her head, throwing her phone to the side before getting out of bed. She quickly changed into an outfit for school and brushed her teeth, then grabbed her bag and ran out the door. Her parents were even still asleep at this time, not that they would care if she left. They were pretty easy going when it came to Nicole’s social life. They wanted her to go out, really. They were tired of seeing her so cooped up her whole life. Even if she broke the rules (which she never did), they would at least be thankful she went out to break them.

In twelve minutes, she had pulled up to Waverly’s. Standing on the front porch, she texted her that she was here and waited for the brunette to open the door. She folded her arms as she waited, the brisk air causing her to shiver a bit in her place.

“You know, you could’ve just come in.” Waverly chuckled and pulled Nicole in so she could shut the door, “Especially if it’s too cold outside for you to even be standing out there.” Waverly hadn’t even gotten out of her pajamas yet, which Nicole recognized as one of her shirts and a pair of pajama shorts. Nicole found Waverly even more attractive in one of _her_ shirts, and it was endearing at the same time that she wore it to sleep.

“Didn’t want to wake anyone,” Nicole was quiet as she spoke. She hadn’t been to Waverly’s house very often, and she didn’t want to make a bad impression on Wynonna, even though they had met before on a few occasions.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. No one is here to wake up.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and pulled her to the staircase, walking her up to her room. She plopped down on the bed, patting the spot next to her as a way to signal Nicole to join her. Nicole took the spot, taking in Waverly’s room again. She looked around and remembered everything that happened that one night, wondering just how they got lucky enough to end up where they are now. Somehow, things aligned and got them here, and both of them couldn’t be more thankful. Once again, everything proved to work out.

“So what’s got _you_ up this early?” Waverly asked, opening the curtains on her window to reveal a still-dark sky, the stars just now starting to fade.

“Duty calls,” Nicole sighed, laying back on the bed, “I barely slept at all last night. People were feeling really risky, I guess. I’ve never had so many calls in one night. I swear this town is cursed.” She looked to her right, at Waverly. “I mean, there has to be one.” She had a small smile on her face.

“A curse?” Waverly looked down at Nicole and ran her hand through Nicole’s red locks, laughing a bit, “Maybe you really do need a bit more sleep, babe.” She was confused by the smile on Nicole’s face. She was talking about a curse, yet she had the softest smile on her face, one that Waverly fell for all over again.

“Well,” Nicole leaned up against her elbows, “Think about this: you can’t really have happiness without sadness, right?” She watched as Waverly furrowed her eyebrows and laughed a bit more as she nodded.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Waverly liked when Nicole talked, even if it was about some silly curse or whatever Nicole was now getting at. She liked knowing Nicole was comfortable enough to say whatever she was thinking. She could tell Nicole wasn’t one to just talk, and it made Waverly feel special that Nicole could just talk with her.

“Well, if you’re a blessing, that means there must be a curse.” Nicole smiled as Waverly’s cheeks turned noticeably red.

The brunette giggled and grabbed her pillow, lightly hitting Nicole with it, “Shush.” She looked down as if it would make her face any less pink and her smile any duller. She smiled wider and giddier than she ever had before. Waverly couldn’t be more head over heels for the redhead, but every day she seemed to fall harder and harder for her. Every time she saw Nicole, her heart beat even faster than the last, and she felt herself like her even more. She didn’t even see how it was possible to like someone so much.

“Really?” Nicole laughed, “That’s what I get for complimenting you?” She took the pillow and tossed it back at Waverly, hitting her lightly in the chest. They laughed together, both quickly finding happiness in the sound of the other. Nothing could beat the way Waverly looked when she laughed. Her beauty and her cherubic nature knocked Nicole right off her feet. She’d never met someone with a smile as bright as Waverly’s, or someone who smiled just as much as her. That smile always filled her with the most joyful feeling, a joy that she’d never felt before.

It wasn’t often that Nicole laughed and smile with such genuineness. With Waverly, of course, she smiled and laughed a great amount, but this time was more special. The two of them laughed together, even when the laughter should’ve probably subsided already.

“Yes, that’s what you get,” She leaned forward as Nicole leaned back, laying down again. “Unless you have something else in mind.” She grabbed Nicole’s hands and held them above her head, watching Nicole’s smile shift into one that mimicked Waverly’s smirk.

“Maybe…” Nicole grinned, her dimple just encouraging Waverly more. Waverly moved to straddle Nicole, stopping just for a moment to make sure she didn’t hurt her, then leaned down more, her face just an inch from Nicole’s. They gazed into each other’s eyes, noses brushing against each other. Waverly felt her heart race and all her muscles tighten, but she was sure of where she was now. It felt right, and she was certain of it.

“We’re gonna miss the sunrise,” Nicole said breathlessly, offering to stop here if Waverly wanted to as well. The last thing she wanted to do was make Waverly uncomfortable, even if Waverly was the one who initiated the situation. Anything could change, and Nicole wanted to know as soon as possible if anything did. Nonetheless, she was ready if Waverly was.

Waverly intertwined their fingers as she glanced down at Nicole’s lips, then back up at her eyes, “So be it.”

 

-

 

Waverly sat behind Nicole again in English, now pretty much permanently switching spots with Perry, who continued not to mind. She was still on an adrenaline rush from the morning and ‘watching the sunrise’ with Nicole. The grin had yet to leave her face. She drove her and Nicole to school that day, and she didn’t stop thinking about it for a second. She was distracted, but she never wanted to focus again. Everything felt so perfect in this moment, and seeing Nicole sat in front of her now just made her mind race all over again.

The teacher walked out the room for a moment so the class took it upon themselves to start up conversations with each other. Waverly quickly leaned forward, smiling at Nicole from over her shoulder, “Hey,” She smiled.

Nicole looked back at her, “Hey, you.”

Waverly noticed the tag in Nicole’s shirt was poking out, so she quickly put it back in, her fingers grazing the back of Nicole’s neck which sent tingles all throughout the redheads body. The touch reminded her of the morning, which she, too, hadn’t stopped thinking about since. It was better than she could’ve ever imagined.

She was again left thinking about how everything somehow always fell into place. If she had gotten a good night’s sleep last night, then this morning wouldn’t have happened the way it did. If she wasn’t constantly woken up with the responsibility of saving the town again, she would have been deprived of the best morning she’d ever had. Everything really does happen for a reason. Maybe the world was trustworthy. Maybe it really did have a plan.

“Your tag was out,” Waverly told her, “I wasn’t just touching you for no reason,” She chuckled, not wanting Nicole to think she was _overly_ excited about this morning, even if Nicole felt the exact same way.

“I figured,” Nicole tapped her pencil against the desk, “So, I assume we’re hanging out after school today?”

“I was hoping so. Homework night?” Waverly asked, periodically eyeing the door to make sure the teacher wasn’t coming back in. Other than the teacher, she didn’t care who saw her talking to Nicole or who caught on to the way her eyes lit up when she saw her. She liked Nicole and she didn’t care who knew.

“If Ultrared doesn’t make an appearance, I’m all yours.” Nicole said, just quietly enough for Waverly to hear. It was a relief to be able to talk about being Ultrared to someone, especially someone she trusted so much. She felt completely secure in talking about the super business with Waverly, and that was something she held on tightly to.

“Ultrared is hot, but she’s stealing you from me,” Waverly pouted, clawing at the sleeve on Nicole’s shirt.

“Waves, you know you’re _dating_ Ultrared, right?” Nicole teased, “And if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been up so early this morning to watch the sunrise with you.” Nicole wanted Waverly to see every bright side possible of the situation. She didn’t want Waverly to think she was too complicated or too much to handle. Through jokes and little mentions of the plus sides, Nicole was hoping to combat any negative thought Waverly might have had.

In all actuality, though, Waverly didn’t mind. Before she knew and before her and Nicole even spoke, she always thought Ultrared was incredible, and pretty hot, if she did say so herself. Even if there were negatives, she would never let them get in the way of her and Nicole’s relationship. Nothing could make Waverly dislike the girl she’d fallen so hard for. “I know,” Waverly laughed lightly, “Just joking. I’ve got a crazy hot superhero of a girlfriend. How could I forget that?”

Nicole blushed and smiled softly, “Thanks. You’re also crazy hot,” She laughed, giddy from the compliment.

“Thanks, babe,” She ruffled Nicole’s hair as the teacher walked back in, to which she quickly sat back in her seat, using all her strength to wipe the silly grin off her face.

 

-

 

Ultrared _did_ interrupt their ‘homework night,’ though not a lot of homework was getting done. Nicole sprung up off the bed and fumbled with her necklace, Waverly panicking, thinking she had done something wrong before she realized what actually happened.

“It’s nothing serious,” Nicole pressed into her necklace and felt the suit seal itself over her, “Robbery. No guns. This criminal is kind of stupid,” She laughed, “I mean, if I was going to rob a store, maybe I’d bring a weapon. I don’t know.” She tried to make light of the situation, but looking down at Waverly made that a bit difficult.

Waverly looked so worried as she watched Nicole. She hated that this was how it had to be, but she knew that Nicole was doing good, and that she would have to deal with it. She just didn’t want her to get hurt.

“I’ll be quick.” Nicole, now Ultrared, bent down to the height Waverly was at, sat on the bed that all the homework had been knocked off of.

“Please, just be safe.” Waverly didn’t know what she could do to help, or if she could even do anything. She just had to let Nicole do what she was meant to do. She was sure Nicole would do the same if their roles were reversed.

Ultrared pressed their foreheads together, holding Waverly’s face with one gloved hand. “I will.”

Waverly didn’t make eye contact, but she put her hand over Ultrared’s and nodded before the superhero leaned in and kissed her, quickly running out afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how was that 'watching the sunrise' for ya lol. also i really canNOT write anything sexual im so sorryfndkjgdjk. andddd i changed my @ again bc identity crisis.
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


	13. chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> waverly takes her chance with nicole and hopes for the best.

Nicole jumped at the sound of the bell that signalled that the school day was finally over, and the weekend was in force. She was very much in her head the whole day after Waverly had been acting a bit strange that morning. Usually if Waverly was acting off, she would know why, but this time she was left to wonder what caused her to be a bit more on edge than usual. She didn’t even pass Nicole any notes or silly drawings in English, which was something that Nicole always looked forward to. Today, though, she didn’t get that privilege. 

Shoving her books into her bag, she got up and paced out the classroom, knowing she wouldn’t see Waverly out in the parking lot due to cheer practice. She had been invited to watch, but something, again, just always held her back from doing so. She did find herself going to more games, though, obviously only to watch Waverly cheer on the teams. 

She got to her car and threw her bag in the front seat, then feeling someone grab her arm. She nearly raised her fist in shock, but the hands felt familiar enough to her to where she only gasped. 

“Waves,” She exhaled with a laugh, “Warn me next time.” She looked Waverly up and down quickly, seeing she was holding two pom-poms in one hand and she was fully in her cheer uniform, yet to put her hair up. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”

“Yes… but I wanted to show you something.” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, which made the redhead panic a bit, looking around to make sure they were safe. 

“Alright…” Nicole furrowed her eyebrows, chuckling nervously. Waverly let go of her hand and switched to have a pom-pom in each hand. She still looked on edge, and Nicole wished she could do something, but she couldn’t do much to fix a problem she knew nothing about. 

“Follow me.” Waverly gave Nicole a reassuring smile before starting to walk back into school, Nicole following a few steps behind. She was confused, but being at school after hours with Waverly filled her with some kind of excitement. She felt herself smiling as she watched Waverly pace and guide her down the practically empty hallways. 

“Can I ask where we’re going?” Nicole asked, quickening her stride to keep up with Waverly, who hadn’t slowed for even a second. 

“Just wait,” Waverly didn’t turn to look back, she stayed forward. Nicole got a bit nervous, but if Waverly had to tell her something important, she would have just done it at Nicole’s car, so she ruled out that option. 

The two reached the field where the cheerleaders were practicing and the football team was stretching to practice. 

“If you wanted me to stay and watch, you could’ve asked,” Nicole said, ready to sit on the bleachers and do homework while watching Waverly perfect each cheer and dance. It didn’t sound like a bad time. Is that what Waverly was worried about? That she may not want to watch? She knew that Waverly was aware of how much she liked her; she had to know that she wouldn’t mind watching her at practice. 

“Stay here,” Waverly turned to look at Nicole, who looked too scared to even move from the place she was standing anyway. She walked to the cheerleaders, who were all talking in a group, “Alright. Ready.”

“You  _ do _ know that the guys are supposed to ask the girls, right?” One said, still not seeing who Waverly brought along with her. 

“One, this isn’t 1950. Times have changed. Two, I’m... I’m not asking a guy.” She broke into a nervous smile, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. At the same time she felt relieved, she also felt like she couldn’t breathe. Nicole was currently the only person who knew about her, and she was about to come out to everyone watching, which would definitely circle around to the whole school in just a day or two. She was ready, though. She knew she was. If there’s one thing she’s learned from Wynonna it was to not give a shit about what anyone else thought. She was her own person, and that was good enough. 

The girl who commented previously looked up at Nicole, “Oh… Oh!” 

Waverly bit her lip, “You guys will still help me, though, right?” Her chest was already tight with the fear of Nicole’s reaction; she didn’t need her team flaking out last minute. That would be the  _ last _ thing she needs. 

After a few seconds, the whole team was nodding, showering Waverly with words of support, claiming that they would blow Nicole away. Waverly smiled wide, “You guys are the best. Ready?”

With that, Waverly started the music, sending a wink Nicole’s way in the process. Nicole smiled and nodded in response, still not entirely sure of what was happening. She watched as Waverly and her team start one of their dances, which definitely had Nicole in awe- not just of the synchronization and skill, but of her girlfriend, who seemed to become more perfect and talented with each passing second. 

She watched as certain members, one by one, were purposefully doing something apart from everyone else. They were picking up pieces of paper, each with a letter on them. Keeping her eyes on Waverly, Nicole tried to simultaneously read what was being spelled out, smiling like an idiot once enough letters were in place for her to figure it out. 

_ W-I-N-T-E-R-F-O-R-M-A-L _

Not enough team members for a question mark. Nicole laughed happily, smiling wider as the dance continued, coming to an end with Waverly standing in front of her and the rest of the team awaiting Nicole’s reply. 

“Will you go with me? To the dance?” Waverly was out of breath as she looked up at Nicole, but somehow still managing a smile. Her panting slowed just a bit in the moments it took for Nicole to process everything. She knew Nicole was hesitant about dances. She knew what Nicole had told her about never going to them, but something in her just had to try. She’d never know what could’ve been if she didn’t go for it now. If she accepted Nicole’s  _ “I’ll think about it,” _ she might never get the chance to go to a dance with her girlfriend. And, gosh, did she want to go with her so badly. 

The anticipation was eating her alive. Time felt like it wasn’t passing and she couldn’t stand it. She swore everything was frozen. Even if just for a moment, she swore nothing was moving and everything was silent. 

Nicole remembered what she said, and thought for a few seconds longer. The thought of going to the dance scared her, but thinking about it, the fear wasn’t such a bad thing. She needed to step out of her comfort zone more. She realized that just because she was Ultrared, didn’t mean she didn’t play it safe. Because in the end, Nicole always played it safe, and the adrenaline she felt as Ultrared was just a taste of what stepping out of her comfort zone felt like. She realized she wanted more of that, but as Nicole. 

The redhead looked up at the papers again, then back at Waverly, nodding. “How can I say no to that?” She laughed again, beaming at the sight of Waverly jumping up and squealing, wrapping her in a hug. Nicole smiled and hugged her back, hearing the team start to cheer and clap, which only made the pair even happier to be in this moment with each other. 

Waverly let Nicole go, but moved her hands up to hold Nicole’s face. Without warning, she crashed their lips together, feeling all the weight of everyone’s expectations fly away. She didn’t care anymore. Nicole made her the happiest girl alive, and she wasn’t going to hide that any longer. When someone means so much to you that you want to scream it from the rooftops, you break eventually. Breaking isn’t a bad thing, though. To Waverly, breaking was the greatest feeling in the world. 

 

\- 

 

Nicole stayed to watch Waverly at practice that day, enjoying the two hours she had to watch her and finish her homework. Waverly was persistent in her eye contact with Nicole, making the redhead’s cheeks turn the same color as her hair. She was particularly weak for the winks that Waverly was sending her way every now and then. It made math homework ten times harder than it should be; she lost focus every few seconds, eyes being drawn to Waverly time and time again. 

Waverly knew what she was doing to Nicole, especially when she saw her bite her lip a look down at her homework again, trying to hide her pink cheeks. She already had a little something planned for after practice, too, if Nicole would go along. As of now, though, she was enjoying the feeling of knowing she was making Nicole flush red. 

Nicole was able to finish her homework before practice ended, giving her thirty minutes to sit and watch Waverly with her full attention. This time she didn’t have an excuse to look down; she was making eye contact, and her pink cheeks were on display. In return, she pulled out a cherry lollipop from her backpack and popped it in her mouth, grinning at Waverly as she did so. She watched Waverly miss a beat, but quickly find herself again. Now Waverly was the one to blush and lose her focus, and she made sure to shake her head at Nicole once they finished the routine. 

“I hate you,” Waverly walked up to Nicole, cheer bag slung over her shoulder. “Enjoying your snack?”

Nicole took the lollipop out her mouth with a popping sound, “Very much so, yes.” She smirked, her lips red from the sucker, “And you must hate me a lot to put together a routine to ask me to a dance.” She knew that if she put on a cocky smile and tease Waverly, it’d drive her crazy. Crazy in the best way. 

Waverly huffed, watching Nicole put the sucker back in her mouth, losing herself in a gaze for a few moments. She shook herself out the hormone-driven trance, bringing her eyes back up to Nicole’s, “Shut up.”

Nicole chuckled in response, a charming smile on her face that made Waverly’s knees go weak. She lost her balance and she was only standing up. Her breathing hitched and she took her bottom lip between her teeth, just wanting to rip the lollipop out of Nicole’s mouth and replace it with her lips instead. She craved the redhead’s touch again, flashbacks filling her head. She felt like she could hear their panting, the movement of the sheets, the adrenaline of it all. She felt herself craving everything more. She wanted Nicole over and over and over again. “My place. Now.”

Nicole shrugged, “So demanding, Miss Earp.” She teased, not letting herself show any sign of weakness. Of course, she wanted just what Waverly wanted, but it would make it all the better to drive Waverly a bit further. 

Waverly sat herself next to Nicole, taking her hand that was holding the lollipop in her own. “When I see something I like, I don’t wanna wait.” She put the lollipop in her mouth and let it go with a popping noise, all while keeping eye contact with Nicole. She released and got up once more, starting to walk off. She  _ knew _ she’d won Nicole over with that one. There was no way she’d be able to keep herself stable. Swaying her hips a bit more than usual, knowing Nicole was staring, she turned around, “See you in ten, Haught.” 

 

-

 

Nicole had barely entered the house before Waverly slammed the door shut and pressed her against it, their lips crashing together. Nicole felt herself smile into the kisses, her hands sliding around Waverly’s waist and up her sides, just wanting to inch over every bit of her. 

Waverly threw her arms around Nicole’s neck and started walking backwards, guiding them to the couch. Without breaking the kiss, she sat down and took Nicole with her, moving to straddle the redhead’s lap. 

“Wait,” Nicole pulled apart, panting already, “What about your family?”

“Won’t be home until later,” Waverly grabbed Nicole’s face and kissed her again, desperate for more. Her stomach was turning with anticipation of moving forward. Sometimes the lead up to something was just so torturous. She wanted to skip straight to what she’d been waiting for since she laid eyes on Nicole at practice that day. She wanted what they had at sunrise that one morning, except this time was filled with even more lust. Somehow this moment was filled with even more sparks than that morning, and she just  _ knew _ that each time would get better and better. It’s how Nicole worked. Everything with Nicole seemed to always get better, and Waverly was amused every time. 

Nicole pulled apart one more time as Waverly’s hands made their way to the buttons on her shirt. “You’re sure, right?” Even if it was so obvious how eager Waverly was, Nicole still had to check in. She never wanted to accidentally read signals wrong. She was positive about it this time, but she could never be  _ too _ positive. The last thing she’d ever want to do is hurt Waverly, or do something that she didn’t want to do. 

“Nicole,” Waverly had to laugh a bit at her, “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” She placed another kiss to her lips, keeping her face close to Nicole’s as she looked down at her, “I want you, Nicole.”

The redhead smiled wide, nodding, “Ditto.”

Waverly started trailing kisses down Nicole’s neck, her fingers unbuttoning her shirt, “Ditto? Really?” She said in between pecks, feeling Nicole struggle to find words to reply with. 

Nicole’s head rolled back, “I-it was,” She exhaled, taking in a sharp breath, “It was… umm,” She was lost for words again. The way Waverly’s breath felt against her neck was enough to make her pass out; the things she was feeling clouded her head in the best way. She didn’t have the strength in the moment to focus on finding words. “It was all I could think of.” 

Waverly pulled Nicole’s shirt off her shoulders, laughing lightly again. “ _ Ditto _ . How sexy.” 

“Sexy?” Nicole regained composure, hands trailing to the zipper on Waverly’s cheer top, “Is that what you want?” She started pulling it down, keeping eye contact, temporarily mesmerized by the way Waverly looked biting her lip.

“Maybe,” Waverly tangled her hands in Nicole’s hair, going in to kiss her again as Nicole inched the zipper down, purposefully taking her time with it. If there was anything she was good at, it was teasing Waverly. She loved how something she did would drive her crazy. They both held some sort of power over each other, and this was Nicole’s turn to use her upper hand. 

“Well, maybe,” Nicole tugged the zipper the rest of the way and flipped them over, hovering over Waverly, “I can give you just that.”

Waverly smiled, her hands still rummaging through Nicole’s hair, breathing pleasantly uneven, “I’d like that.” 

“I’m sure you would.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u liked ittttt. this is one of my favorite chapters and im so excited for yall to finally have read it. also, next week's update is loooonggggg and ive been waiting to post it for MONTHS. anyway yeah i hope yall liked this!!
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


	14. dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> waverly and nicole go to the dance together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> loooooong update. i've had this written for MONTHS and im dying for feedback. also. sorry.

Had it not been for the school’s borderline sexist dress codes, Nicole wouldn’t be in a flowing purple dress, but she tried to feel the most like herself that she could. She looked in the mirror, brushing her hair behind her ear as she looked at herself. She hadn’t seen herself in a dress since she was a kid, and though she felt so out of her comfort zone, she felt a bit confident. Thinking on it, she put in all of this effort just for Waverly, just to make her happy. She didn’t mind, obviously; making Waverly happy gave her the same kind of happiness.

For Waverly, she’d spent hours in the store just searching for the perfect dress. For Waverly, she’d stayed up late into the night trying to figure out how to sew a hem. She watched countless makeup tutorials on social platforms that she never typically went on. She individually fixed each curl and wave in her hair to make sure it sat perfectly, rather than a bit messy like it typically was. She’d raided her mother’s jewelry box, untangling a handful of necklaces just searching for the perfect one. For Waverly, she’d stepped completely out of her comfort zone, and because of Waverly, she felt so good about it. 

Nicole checked herself in the mirror one last time. Her dress fit fine after her adjustments, and it would do for tonight. If it was up to her, she would’ve preferred something a bit less stereotypical, but maybe a stereotypical night was what she wanted. Maybe she’d appreciate it more. 

“Nicole! Someone’s here for you!” Her mother called. She couldn’t be more excited that she was going out. Over the course of the past few months, Waverly had become so loved by Nicole’s parents. Carrie might as well be obsessed with her; they bonded over tea every now and then, and she felt like Waverly was the most perfect girl for Nicole. It warmed her heart to see them together and to see her daughter be so happy with someone. 

Nathan felt the same way. He didn’t love the fact that Nicole was growing up faster than he’d like, but if she was going to, he was glad it was Waverly she was going off with. Not only had Waverly made quick friends with Carrie, but she also made an effort to befriend Nathan, which he appreciated more than anything. One night when Waverly was over, she forced Nicole to stay downstairs with her and Nathan, all of them bonding over a thriller movie that was playing. Nicole had asked Waverly if she wanted to go upstairs, and she said she wanted to stay down and talk about the film with Nicole’s father. 

Nicole liked how close Waverly was with her parents, and she wished she could reciprocate by befriending Waverly’s family, but she hadn’t really heard much about them. She’d barely heard anything about them in the five-ish months they’d been together, but she didn’t want to pry. The few times she did ask a few questions, Waverly tended to shut it down fast. Nicole decided she would know when Waverly was ready to let her know, and that was okay. 

Grabbing her phone and clutch off her bed, Nicole took yet another look in the mirror before carefully walking down the stairs, staring down at her feet as she was being sure not to trip over her dress. Waverly had made fun of her clumsiness on more than one occasion, and she didn’t need this to be one of them. Nearing the bottom of the stairs, she looked up and met eyes with Waverly. 

For a moment, she could’ve sworn her heart stopped, and she wasn’t even alive anymore. Waverly looked like an angel, the most perfect thing to ever walk this earth. It seemed unrealistic just how beautiful she looked. Nicole felt luckier than she ever had before. 

Waverly was in a pastel green, strapless dress. Her hair was down and loosely curled perfectly, allowing it to effortlessly cascade down her back and shoulders. Everything about her was perfect. 

Nicole stopped mid-step, unable to fathom the beauty that Waverly was exhibiting. She could say it a billion times over, but she would never be able to amount to just how ethereal Waverly was, especially in this moment. Especially when she was looking at her like  _ that _ .

Waverly watched Nicole walk down the stairs, and with each step, she felt herself become more and more in awe of her. She didn’t know it was possible to be so alluring, so effortlessly alluring. No matter what Nicole was doing, she always somehow managed to look perfect doing it. Now, though, now she was even more perfect, and Waverly couldn’t understand how. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. That redhead dream was hers, hers to love, hers to kiss, hers to treasure for the rest of her life. 

Nicole exhaled with a smile, finally able to gather up the words to speak. “Wow.” Waverly fell harder, that smile and that dimple just topping it all off. Her cheeks went red. 

“Wow yourself.” She felt like crying at the sight, though she refrained. She knew, though, that if she wasn’t wearing a face a makeup that she’d worked so hard on, she would be crying tears of happiness, of adoration. 

Nicole would say so much more; she had so much more to say, but her parents were watching them and she didn’t want to make anything awkward. This moment was perfect, and she wouldn’t dare do anything to ruin that. 

After a long enough time of staring at each other, Nicole finished making her way down the stairs to meet Waverly up front, finding that she looked even more stunning up close. It took everything in her not to grab her face and kiss her right there, but she held back, knowing she would definitely get to do that later, and then let it lead to something else she also really wanted to do. 

Before leaving, of course, Nicole’s parents insisted on photos, which included a playfully annoyed Nicole, and a more than happy Waverly. The brunette was all smiles and poses, getting Nicole to at least try a few new angles. The dance scene was unfamiliar to Nicole, and so was the excitement of her parents, who seemed to not be able to get enough photos of them. 

Despite Nicole’s uncomfortability, Waverly couldn’t stop making her laugh with her dramatic poses and trying to teach Nicole how to ‘smize.’ Nicole’s parents had taken well over a hundred photos, all holding a new moment of laughter, of excitement, of joy. Though Nicole could do without the process, she knew she would be framing the photos later and keeping them for years to come. Even the times of doing things she didn’t enjoy, Waverly made everything enjoyable for her and made her see the fun in everything. 

“Okay, okay, if we don’t leave now we’re going to be late,” Nicole laughed lightly and put her hand over the camera, pushing it down. She loved her parents’ enthusiasm, but she actually wanted to get going. Her parents nodded, giving her (and Waverly) a few too many kisses goodbye and telling them to have the time of their lives. Waverly politely said goodbye and grabbed Nicole’s hand, guiding her to the red jeep parked in the driveway. 

“Thank you for coming, by the way,” Waverly opened the door for Nicole, helping her to not mess up her dress on the way in, “It really does mean a lot.” She had never been happier than in this moment, knowing Nicole was coming to the dance as her date. Her  _ date _ . 

“My pleasure,” Nicole grinned as Waverly circled around and got in the driver’s seat, starting to pull off. She rested her head in her head as she gazed at Waverly, not being able to wait until they got to school. It felt so strange to her that she actually wanted to be at school. She actually wanted to be out on the dance floor; she wanted to live out what she always dreamed of doing as a kid. She felt like all her childhood dreams of being a cool teenager had gone down the drain, but they were all coming back to life now. She was living them out. Her younger self might actually be proud of her, and that was a thought she’d never had before.

Waverly giggled when she turned and saw Nicole smiling at her, dimple poking in her cheek, more prominent with the joy of her smile. The brunette grabbed Nicole’s hand, blushing at the way Nicole was previously gazing at her. The butterflies in her stomach went wild, and her heart started skipping beats. 

Waverly parked at school and met Nicole in the front of the car, lacing their fingers together. She smiled up at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, “Ready?” She would give Nicole a moment if she needed. She knew this was all new, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. To her surprise, though, Nicole nodded with a smile, squeezing her hand back. Waverly nodded excitedly and they started to walk toward the doors, the sun just starting to set outside. As they walked in, they could already hear the faint pumping of music coming from the gym, which only filled them with more excitement, even Nicole. The school was decorated with a few sparkly snowflakes, and little arrows directing them to the gym, as if they didn’t already know where it was.

They turned down the hallway that took them to the gym, and Waverly looked up at Nicole again with a smile, just to check that she still looked ready. Not only had Nicole never attended a dance, but they were going as dates, and some people could definitely take that the wrong way. People had already been homophobic towards Nicole, but if it happened again, Waverly was ready to take it down with her. Nicole Haught was her  _ girlfriend _ , and she couldn’t be happier about the fact. 

The song in the gym switched to another with a pounding beat, one that Nicole could feel pulsing through her body. She liked it; it reminded her of being a child and playing with a CD player for the first time. She got it on her seventh birthday, one to remember. She was dancing around with her parents to some new Britney Spears song that had just come out. The music was blasting; they were all laughing. She felt free.

Then it all came crashing down. In just a matter of seconds.

She stopped for a second, her grip on Waverly’s hand tightening as she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. The music suddenly made her feel like she was spiraling, like everything was going to come crashing down again.

“Hey,” Waverly turned around and saw the fear on Nicole’s face, the fear that had replaced the excitement she was wearing just a moment prior. A million possibilities rang through her head, making her thoughts spiral just like Nicole’s. She needed to stay grounded, though. If Nicole needed to head home, Waverly would take her, and they could dance in the comfort of Nicole’s room if that was what she wanted. As much as she wanted to be at the dance, she wanted Nicole safe and happy over that. “You okay?” She cupped Nicole’s face with her other hand, gently rubbing her thumb over her cheek. 

Nicole nodded, finding comfort in Waverly’s eyes, and slowly feeling the fear start to wash away. The excitement (ever so slowly) started to file back in, and her heartbeat settled. “I’m okay.” 

Waverly gave her a soft smile, “You’re ready?” She asked, just for clarification that she was still okay enough to go in. She reminded herself that it was okay if she wasn’t.

“Ready.”

Pressing a quick kiss to Nicole’s cheek, Waverly turned and they started to walk back in, finally walking through the entrance of the gym and into where everyone was already socializing. Nicole felt herself start to smile. The new atmosphere was exciting, and it made her feel like she was a part of something. She looked around at the decorations, the cliche Winter Wonderland of it all. The few pairs of eyes that were on her and Waverly slipped right past her, which is something that usually wouldn't happen. She smiled at Waverly, who was happy to see her girlfriend in good spirits. She deserved to feel happy.

They stood on the sidelines for now, Waverly giving Nicole a chance to warm up before they made their way to the dance floor. Waverly laced her fingers with Nicole’s again, looking up at her, “I’m so glad we’re here. Together. You look incredible.” She looked Nicole up and down, her heart swelling at the sight of how beautiful she was. 

Nicole blushed, but in the dark light, no one could tell. “Thank you. You look stunning.” She watched Waverly smile wide, taking a quick look around the room before leaning up and giving Nicole a quick kiss. Despite being ever-so confident about her and Nicole’s relationship, she knew that sometimes it wouldn’t be safe. She also wanted to respect Nicole’s distance, too, just in case she was uncomfortable with the public scene. 

“Do you want to- umm,” Waverly nodded toward the dance floor, “Dance a little? I really like this song.” 

Nicole chuckled, “Of course you do.” She looked toward the dance floor, watching the lights around the room move to the beat of the intensely pop song. She thought for a moment, but figured that they could slip right into the large crowd. Apparently, people actually  _ do _ like to dance at these events. She nodded at Waverly, “Sure. Let’s go.” To Waverly’s surprise, Nicole was the one pulling her into the crowd, spinning her around as they blended into the crowd. She wasn’t one for dancing, but she moved around a little bit. Waverly was the one who was dancing her heart out, singing the song and directing a few lyrics to Nicole. 

“Come on, Nicole,” She laughed, setting her hands on Nicole’s shoulders, “Live a little.” 

“I don’t want to mess up my hair.” Nicole excused. It wasn’t exactly a lie, since she had worked diligently on making it perfect. She wasn’t much of a dancer, and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of everyone. 

“Really?” Waverly scoffed, running a hand through Nicole’s curls, “Since when has Nicole Haught cared about her hair?” She twisted a strand around her finger, and Nicole ignored that she might have messed up that curl. 

Nicole shrugged with a light laugh, watching as a few strobes of light would occasionally hit Waverly’s face, highlighting all the right features in the split second it was on her. She would never get over just how incredible she looked that night.  

Waverly sensed that Nicole needed a bit more time before she was comfortable dancing around. She stopped her jumping around and took Nicole’s hand, guiding her out the crowd and leading her back towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Nicole asked, hoping Waverly wasn’t embarrassed by her awkwardness. She wished she was as free spirited as Waverly, and sometimes she was insecure that she was holding her back from having fun. 

“I’m getting you a snack,” Waverly paced down the hallways, reaching the vending machine at the very end of one. She took out a bit of money to pay for a snack for the both of them.

Nicole was confused, but she was secretly relieved to have a bit of time away from the pumping music and loud chatter of people. She looked over all the snacks, picking a candy bar just so Waverly wouldn’t insist that she get a snack if she said she didn’t want anything. 

Waverly handed the money to Nicole then wrapped her arms around her waist, placing a kiss on Nicole’s neck. Nicole’s hands started to shake a bit as she punched in the numbers to the candy bar. She let out a rugged exhale and smiled, “Waves…”

Waverly grinned and gently brushed a strand of hair behind Nicole’s ear, then letting her hand rest on the back of Nicole’s neck, lightly tangling her fingers in her red hair. Nicole’s breathing hitched and a rush of tingles shot down her spine, making it even harder to put the bill into the machine to pay. Her hands missed the slot a few times before she got it in. 

Meanwhile, the brunette chuckled and ran her hand down Nicole’s back, then slowly circling around her waist again. Her lips found their way to Nicole’s jaw, placing a few down the line, up to her ear. 

The money came out the machine. 

Nicole struggled once more to turn it the other way and put it back into the slot, her cheeks burning and the butterflies in her stomach becoming unable to withstand anymore. 

The money slipped in, and the candy bar slowly starting slipping out of its place. Nicole watched intently, feeling Waverly press another kiss to her cheek, her hands now on Nicole’s face. The redhead turned and pressed their lips together, not being able to resist any longer. She knew what Waverly was doing and it was working; she was going to crave more, and they were going to have to wait until later. 

Waverly grinned into the kiss and pushed Nicole against the machine, just as the candy bar hit the bottom. Despite being in heels, she pressed up more onto her toes, kissing Nicole harder than she had before. Her hands tangled themselves in Nicole’s hair, the curls falling out of place. Nicole couldn’t care less, though. If they had to get messed up, this was how she wanted them to fall out of place. 

Nicole’s hands found Waverly’s hips and pulled her closer, gripping the sides of her dress. Slowly, they inched up Waverly’s back, aching for her to be closer even though they were already as close as they could be. The only thing between them was the fabric of their dresses, which were going to have to be soothed down. 

A group of footsteps started to come closer, in hearing distance. 

“More later,” Waverly breathed against Nicole’s lips, giving her one last kiss before they split apart. Nicole leaned off the vending machine and got her candy bar, still catching her breath as the group of people came down to hallway, probably to get a snack just like them. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, “Let’s go, babe.” She started walking back toward the gym, ignoring the temporary stares from the group. 

 

-

 

As the night progressed, Nicole warmed up to the situation, having talked with Waverly’s friends from the cheer squad and a few other people that Waverly knew from different clubs she was in. It was out of her comfort zone, but it gave her all the right feelings. She felt so adrenalized and so in place, in place like she never has before. The people that still gave her and Waverly looks were dismissed, and somehow only made her want to show off more. She picked up that from Waverly. 

As Waverly and Nicole stood by themselves again, the regular pumping beat of the music slowed, transitioning into slower, calmer song than the aggressive pop that was playing before. Waverly looked up at Nicole, smiling, “Dance with me?” She held out her hand. 

_ Heaven Is A Place On Earth _ .

“I’d be honored,” Nicole took her hand and proudly walked with her to the dance floor, her hands settling on Waverly’s hips, as Waverly’s arms circled around Nicole’s neck. They smiled at each other, and the song couldn’t be more perfect. 

“You know,” Waverly looked up at the lights, then back at Nicole, “I might’ve requested this song.” She smiled a bit, a nervous smile. “Is that weird?”

Nicole shook her head with a laugh, “It’s perfect, Waverly.” She would never understand how she got so lucky. Somehow, the most perfect girl in the world had ended up hers, hers to treasure, hers to kiss. 

Waverly smiled and pulled Nicole a bit closer, resting their foreheads together. Out of Nicole’s control, she started to glow. Light sparkles emitted off her skin, and she felt the warm energy circling her body. In the dark room, she was a glowing silhouette. This time, though, she didn’t care. She let herself glow. She let herself live. 

“Nicole,” Waverly looked up at her, “You really are an angel, aren’t you?” She had seen Nicole glow before, but never like this. Usually the glow was a deep indigo, but now it was white with a blue tone. If someone told her that Nicole was an angel, she would believe it instantly. 

Nicole laughed lightly and shook her head, “Nope. Just happy.” 

“Just happy.” Waverly repeated as she smiled. Nicole was happy. That was everything to her.  _ This _ was everything to her, and she would never forget this night. A part of her felt cliche to be so obsessed with having the perfect high school dance, but she finally had it. She finally had her perfect high school dance, and right now it was the highlight of her life. It was everything she wanted and more, and she knew she was sharing that with the right person. 

Nicole would’ve never pictured a high school dance to be so magical. Even upon arriving, she never expected to feel so happy, to not want to go home. She wanted to stay here dancing with Waverly forever. Even if everyone left, she felt so right standing here. Waverly never wanted to leave either. She wanted to spend forever dancing with Nicole’s glow, spinning light around and wrapping her arms around its neck. 

“Hey, Nicole,” Waverly looked into Nicole’s eyes, taking a breath, but knowing she was sure of what she would say next. 

Nicole locked her eyes with Waverly’s, “Yeah?”

“I-” She paused. Her heart was beating out her chest, and she could hear the pounding in her ears over the music. She was ready, though. She was confident about sharing this with Nicole. “I think I-umm,” She paused again. She had a lump in her throat that wouldn’t go down. A billion words swarmed her mind, and she just couldn’t pick out the three she needed. She felt them there, but she couldn’t grasp them. Of everyone she’d ever told them to, of everyone who left her after she said it, she felt it was right. She felt overcome with the previously dreaded emotion, and she didn’t think she could hold it in any longer. She started to speak once more, but stopped. She looked down, biting her lip and picking out the words she needed. “I think I lo-”

_ Beep _ .

Nicole let go of Waverly and held her ear, clenching her eyes shut. Her heart rate picked up, and her glow faded. She wanted to throw herself to the ground and never get up. Of course this was ruined again. Of course she couldn’t have one nice thing. Of course she couldn’t have one nice night. 

She looked up. 

INCIDENT: MURDER. 

Quickly scanning the location, Nicole looked back at Waverly, “I am so,  _ so _ sorry.” She paced off the dance floor, starting to run out the gym. She ran as fast as she could, taking off her shoes in the process so she could get more speed.

“Nicole!” Waverly chased after her, tears starting to form in her eyes, making everything a blur. Her head spun. Her heart dropped. The lump in her throat grew. 

Nicole ran out the school and into the rain, gripping her necklace in her hand. She pressed into it hard enough to break it, but of course it didn’t. Her dress was replaced by her suit, her curls folded back into a braid, her dark blue glow bled through her skin. 

Waverly tried to catch her as she ran, but she was too fast. Sopping wet, she got into her jeep and pulled out, following Nicole. She wasn’t letting her deal with this alone. Nicole jumped into the air and Waverly followed on the ground. The rain was pouring, the thunder pounded, the lightning struck every few seconds. Waverly was too distracted to even cry. She sped after her girlfriend, turning left and right, swerving around every car that was in her way. Nothing was going to ruin this night. Nicole would be okay and Waverly would take her back home in just a few minutes.

Ultrared plunged toward the ground, landing with such a force that the ground rumbled with the thunder. She was angry. She was  _ livid _ . Whoever was involved she wanted to put in the ground. Nothing could amount to her describe how apoplectic she felt. Her glow started to burn red, and the warm pulse of energy she usually felt was more like a line of fire. 

She stood up and saw four people laying on the ground, and three people with guns pointed towards her. She took a step towards them and three bullets came spiraling towards her at once, two hitting her shoulder, and one piercing her stomach. She didn’t budge like she usually would. She stood upright, the fire burning to an unearthly temperature. Her brown eyes started to burn auburn, and a strand of her hair became a bright red that stood out from the other red strands. 

Her hands balled into fists, and she took quicker steps forward. A few flying bullets missed her, but a few more hit her. She remained still, focused. 

A car came towards the scene and the sound of the brakes screeched behind her. The car skidded across the wet road, ending with a crash into a telephone pole. Ultrared turned quick and held a hand up, keeping the pole upright as she pulled the car away from it. 

A red jeep. 

Waverly’s red jeep. 

Ultrared huffed and turned back toward the guns, just praying Waverly had enough common sense to stay in the car. 

“I wouldn’t move if I were you.” One of the men told the hero. 

She gritted her teeth together, her head pounding, “I wouldn’t have shot if I were you.” She lifted both hands up and hurled a ball of light at two of the men, knocking them to the ground. She choked back her tears and held them to the ground with one hand, the other needing a bit more energy before she could produce another. She was so exhausted. She was tired of this ruining every good thing she ever had. She was tired of being convinced that she should’ve never gone out in the first place. She was tired of never trusting a good moment, and always getting a reason to not trust that good moment. 

She didn’t want to put herself through this. She didn’t want to put  _ Waverly _ through this. 

Another bullet flew her way.

“Stop!” Waverly pushed herself out the car, standing in the pouring rain with a gun pointed towards her now. She couldn’t bare to see Nicole get shot anymore. She couldn’t see her die over and over again. 

“Waverly,” Ultrared was in tears. Looking back at Waverly, she felt more energy get ripped from her. She was powerless. She had to fight this battle herself. 

“You move, and I pull the trigger.” The man threatened. Waverly’s hands went up in defense. She hadn’t realized what she was getting herself into. She was so blinded by trying to save Nicole, trying to be  _ her _ hero that she turned into the one who needed a hero once again. She wanted to help. She wanted to help save the day. 

Ultrared caught her breath and did her best to gather as much strength as she could. She darted towards the man and the trigger was pulled. A loud shot went off. She tackled him to the ground. Sirens started to sound from afar. 

She pulled the energy from the three men on the ground, leaving them without the power to stand. She was kneeled on the puddled ground, her breath getting caught in her throat when she realized she didn’t have a new bullet wound. She wasn’t the one shot when the trigger was pulled. 

She whipped her head around. 

Waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont kill me


	15. worlds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole fights to save waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am: sorry

_ Waverly _ .

Nicole dashed to her and dove to the ground, sliding on the wet pavement. The knees of her suit tore and broke skin below them. She felt her entire world come crashing down, and she felt the weight of a thousand worlds on her shoulders. Tears were free falling down her face and onto Waverly, but they just blended in with the rain. The blue glow she previously had completely vanished, leaving her to look just as lifeless as Waverly. 

“Please,” She held Waverly’s head, choking on her own sobs. Her hands tightened into fists, tangled in Waverly’s wet hair. She looked to Waverly’s chest, blood seeping out of a hole in her chest. Her head spun at the sight. “Waverly,” She cried, but her voice was barely audible. She pressed her forehead to Waverly’s chest, still holding the brunette’s head in her shaking hands. 

Nicole was never one to lay down and cry; she didn’t like feeling so defeated. But now.  _ Now _ she felt defeated, and no one who felt her pain could ever keep themselves from crying. Once the first tear fell, they all came rushing toward the surface, pouring out with the sobs that came from her mouth. 

It hurt worse than anything. It hurt worse than having her normal life ripped from her as a child. It hurt worse than the bullying. It hurt worse than never having a proper childhood. It hurt worse than the night of the party. It hurt worse than the bullets earlier, or any bullet she had ever taken. It hurt her more than words could explain. 

She felt like there was an empty hole where her heart was meant to be. She felt empty, like some void vessel with nowhere to go. Her cries were so loud mixed with the rain and thunder that she couldn’t even hear them or her heartbeat pounding in her ears, which just convinced her that she no longer had one. And how would she live on without a heart? How would she live on knowing she’s the reason it broke?

The sirens grew closer.

She knew that if she stayed here, if she let Waverly stay here, they would just take her into a bag and she would never see the light of day again. Nicole wasn’t going to let that happen. She wasn’t going to let Waverly die.

She picked her head up and sniffled, taking Waverly into her arms. She felt just as lifeless as she looked. In the back of Nicole’s mind, she knew she was just holding a corpse, but she wasn't going to believe it. She wasn’t going to believe that Waverly Earp was dead. Her heart could stop, her breathing could stop, but Nicole wasn’t going to let that stop her from trying to save her life. The life that had just slipped away.

No.

The life that wasn’t  _ going _ to slip away. Nicole was going to catch it somehow; she had to. If there’s anything that dying over and over had taught her, it was that nothing was ever over. This wasn’t over. Waverly’s story was incomplete, and Nicole couldn’t have it end here. There was so much that Waverly Earp had left to do, and Nicole would die before she didn’t get to do any of it. 

The sirens were just seconds away. 

Nicole stood with Waverly cradled in her arms, running as the red and blue lights came into view. They spiraled behind her, but she took off, running as fast as she could. Waverly was the one good thing that life had brought her and nothing was going to take that away. Of all the jokes the universe had played on her, and of all the things it took away, Waverly would not be one of those people. Waverly was good. Waverly was going to stay. 

Nicole’s blood ran cold as she realized she could no longer breathe, and she was stumbling over the more she tried to run. She fell to the ground, placing Waverly gently in front of her, breaking into heavier sobs than before. 

“Just hang on. Please.” She knew deep down that Waverly was long gone, but something in her told her to keep trying. She convinced herself that Waverly was still in there. Waverly wouldn’t die on her. She was certain of it. “I’m going to get you back.” She gasped for another breath to speak, “I’m not leaving you here.”

Waverly watched. She saw Nicole trying to help. She saw herself lying on the ground. She chased after Nicole when she ran, she cried with her, she tried to say something, but no one could hear. She was trapped.

She wondered if she’d be here forever, if she’d have to watch herself die and watch Nicole die with her. She wondered if she’d have to spend eternity watching Nicole blame herself for what happened. That wasn’t what forever was supposed to look like. She saw what forever was supposed to look like, and this wasn’t it. Forever was supposed to be Nicole, Nicole by her side. Forever was supposed to be graduating. Forever was supposed to be getting married, and having a family. Forever was with Nicole, and she was not going to leave forever unfinished. 

“I’m trying, Nicole.” She sunk next to Nicole, just aching to get back in her body, to save Nicole years of heartbreak and misery. She wanted to feel Nicole, to talk to her, to just be with her in full again. It was enough to kill her for good just watching Nicole struggle, trying to fix something that even Waverly was losing hope in. 

Nicole felt a warmth wash over her, and it gave her a bit more energy to pick Waverly up and walk a bit further. She could make it home if she really pushed through. Taking a breath, she started to run. She ran as fast as her feet could take her and didn’t take a single glance black. She swore she heard footsteps behind her, but she knew that turning around would slow her down, and if she slowed down she was running out of time. 

Every few steps, she could get herself off the ground, just for a few seconds. Flying was out of the question with Waverly in her arms, but she could get seconds of it, and that was about as easy as anything would get. She was completely out of energy. Almost out of hope, but not completely. She held her whole world in her arms at the same time her world was crashing down. Everything was all wrong. This wasn’t supposed to happen; she was the hero.  _ She _ was supposed to die for the ones she loved. She was supposed to be in Waverly’s place right now. 

Waverly wanted so badly to be a hero to Nicole, and she didn’t realize just how much of one that she was. She didn’t have to sacrifice herself, or die to be considered a hero. Nicole knew she was a hero,  _ her _ hero. 

But Waverly didn’t realize. Waverly, for once, just wanted to be Nicole’s savior, to be the strong one. And she was. She was just that and more, and Nicole just wanted a last moment to tell her everything that she was. To tell her that she was everything to her, that she was the strongest person she knew, that she saved her time and time again, that she was the true hero. Not Ultrared, not Nicole, not any other superhero in the world. Waverly was the true one, and Nicole couldn’t even tell her that now. 

“Just a little longer, Waves. Stay with me, please.” Nicole picked her pace back up, running so fast that her tears were flying backwards, leaving horizontal tear streaks across her cheeks and blending into the rain. Waverly still hung limp in her arms, but she wasn’t going to stop now. There was a sprinkle of hope left in her, and she was going to run with it. Waverly couldn’t die. That’s not how her story ends. 

Waverly continued to run after Nicole, trying her best to supply her with the energy to run a little further. They were close to Nicole’s house, and she knew that Nicole could do something. She was smart, even if she didn’t admit to it. She could figure something out. She could get Waverly back, and Waverly just prayed that she did so. 

As far as the brunette knew, she wasn’t dead if she was chasing after Nicole now. She still felt life inside her; she had to be somewhere between life and death and she would do anything to make sure her life won. She had hope. She wasn’t going to give up on herself; she wasn’t going to give up on Nicole. She loved her. She loved her more than words can explain and it terrified her. It terrified her that she loved someone so much after everyone she loved in her life had left her. It terrified her that she was the one who left this time, even if she would do anything to turn back time and stop that from happening. 

“A little further,” Waverly rubbed Nicole’s back, even if the redhead would never know she was there. Nicole was slowing down again until she felt a familiar warmth that caused a purple glow to bleed through her suit in the shape of a handprint. Even if she couldn’t see it, she felt it there. 

Nicole took another breath as she started to sprint again, feet moving faster than they ever had before. She held Waverly tight and protectively, wanting to move quick but delicately to not hurt her anymore. With the power she had left, she had kept her hand over Waverly’s chest, atop the bullet wound. Sacrificing the power it would take to heal herself, she tried to transfer it to Waverly, hoping it would help even a little. 

“I swear I can help you,” Nicole tried to run even faster, “I’m a superhero, right? I can do something.” She neared her house, knowing she was about two minutes away. Those words were more for herself than to Waverly. She had to convince herself that she could do something. There had to be something she could do. All she could do was repeat that this wasn’t over. It seemed impossible that Waverly could ever die, and every time she thought about not being able to save her, she choked more on her sobs, barely able to breathe. She just couldn’t lose her. It wasn’t fair. 

Nicole had her share of the unfairness of life and the harsh ways of the world, but she was not going to let this win again. She wasn’t going to let the world give her the beautiful gift of Waverly only to have her taken away. She wasn’t going to let her happiness, her rock, her  _ love _ slip away. Her everything. 

“Waverly, if you’re in there, please hold on.” She held her closer as her feet took her further. Her house was just moments away, and she knew that once she was there, she could find something to do to help. 

“I’m here, Nicole,” Waverly left another glowing handprint on Nicole’s shoulder. “I won’t leave you.” Even if Waverly did slip away, she knew she would never leave Nicole’s side. It would be torture for her to have to watch Nicole suffer, but no part of Waverly could ever leave her. Nicole was everything to her; she was the axis that her world turned on. She wouldn’t ever leave Nicole’s side, even if life separated them. 

As soon as Waverly laid eyes on Nicole, she knew instantly that she meant something to her. She felt connected to her immediately, even before they’d ever spoken. Nicole was always important to Waverly in some way; she always knew in her heart that Nicole was special, and that she was meant to be in her life. 

Nicole neared her house and darted upstairs, the familiarity of her own home fueling her with a bit more hope and power. She laid Waverly down on her bed and placed both hands on Waverly’s heart, tears spilling out her eyes uncontrollably. She let one finger grip around Waverly’s necklace, and her finger burned from the heat of it. 

Suddenly, she had no idea what to do. 

She was set on figuring something out once she was home, but nothing was coming to mind. All she could do was cry. If tears could fuel life, Waverly would be fine. Nicole wished it worked that way, that she could just cry Waverly back to life. 

She let her head fall, crying into Waverly’s neck and begging for a sign of life. Their necklaces barely laced together, which sent a burning sensation through Nicole’s throat, but she didn’t care. Most of her didn’t even realize it was happening. All she could focus on was that Waverly had died. Maybe she couldn’t do anything after all. 

“Please, Waverly,” She cried, “Please don’t die.” Her fist curled around Waverly’s necklace, searching for a heartbeat or a breath. 

Nothing. 

Waverly sat next to Nicole, not able to stop her own tears from falling as well. She felt herself slipping away and there was nothing she could do to stop it. All she could do was hope they met in another life, to hope that Nicole wouldn’t forget her when she was gone. 

She hugged Nicole one last time as her tears free fell. She was slipping away. She could no longer feel Nicole next to her, and the whole world became dark and numb. She tried to hug her tighter, but she couldn’t feel a thing. Within seconds, she found herself hugging nothing at all, just left with a disappearing shadow. There was nothing left. Nothing left of her, nor of Nicole, of anything. She was gone. 

Nicole felt her hand become burning hot at the touch of Waverly’s necklace, and it felt as something had dropped down it, but she was sure it was her own tears. 

Her cries picked up even more, to an inhumane amount. She’d never cried so much in her life. Nothing had ever hurt this bad. She was so broken that she physically ached, and nothing could match that pain. 

Waverly was gone. 

She couldn’t even let herself believe it. And it was her fault. She was gone because of her, and now she was going to have to live with it. 

Her head became warm, as she took in another ragged breath, her chest rising so much that it seemed like someone else was breathing just as heavy underneath her. But that wasn’t going to happen. 

“I’m so sorry, Waverly.” She exhaled, barely inhaling again after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont hate me even tho i know u already do ;((   
> also this is NOT the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


	16. back

A cough and a rugged inhale. 

Nicole’s cries temporarily stopped. She was crying hard, but she swore that couldn’t have come from her. Her whole body heated up, like some familiar warmth was over her. A few more leftover tears fell, but she just couldn’t find the strength to move. There was no way she could ever move again. 

Another inhale and a rise of a chest that wasn’t her own. 

More familiar warmth washed over Nicole, so much that she started to barely glow a soft purple. 

“Nicole.”

Her head picked up. It took her a moment to see; her eyes were red and her vision was blurry from the tears. She still saw a lifeless body. She was hearing things. 

She put her head back down. 

“Nicole?” She felt a flinch of Waverly’s arm. Waverly who was supposed to have died. Waverly who was dead because of her. She picked herself up again, starting to cry once more. She took Waverly’s hand and gripped it tight, her vision too blurry to see if she was alive again or not. 

“Waverly?” Her whole body trembled. She was hearing voices. This wasn’t real. Maybe she had died, too. In some way, that seemed better than living with herself after killing the only person she really loved.

Waverly opened her eyes and saw Nicole. She saw Nicole; she saw Nicole’s room. She felt Nicole and the bed underneath her. It all felt so real, but if this was how she was now, it meant Nicole had died, too. She still felt pain, though. So much of it. Fighting through it, she lifted a hand and reached up to hold Nicole’s face. 

Nicole shook her head. “This isn’t real.” She let her vision clear as she looked at Waverly, whose eyes were open with a soft, dull sparkle in them. “Y-you’re alive.”

Waverly exhaled with a nod, figuring Nicole hadn’t died in the end. Nicole brought her back. “You saved me.” Maybe she wasn’t dead after all. When she slipped away, she only fell back into her body, back into a life rather than falling into a death. 

Nicole smiled, praying she wasn’t dreaming and that everything was real. That Waverly was alive again. If she was dreaming, she hoped that it had all been a dream, and that she would wake up ready to go to the dance that night. She squeezed Waverly’s hand again, it feeling too real to be a dream. She held onto the feeling. Maybe she really did cry Waverly back to life. Or maybe she loved her back to life. Either way, the girl she fell so in love with was somehow alive again, and she didn’t care how it happened. She was just thankful that she was back. 

Waverly let her hand fall from Nicole’s face, landing on her chest instead. “I love you, too.” She was relieved that she heard those words, rather than having them interrupted again. 

Nicole furrowed her eyebrows, “I-I didn’t say-- I mean, I do love you. I really do, but I didn’t say it. I don’t think.” She struggled to find the words to speak; she was too in shock to talk. Waverly was talking, though, which meant Nicole would be, too. 

Waverly panicked, “I heard you say it.” She realized she was hearing Nicole again, but when she looked up, the redhead’s lips weren’t moving. She sighed, wrapping her head around what happened. At this point, this wasn’t the craziest thing that could happen. If she was able to come back to life, anything could happen. “Of course this is how our first ‘I love you’s turn out.” She had to chuckle to herself. This situation was one that you couldn’t cry over. There was no set reaction to it, except to find the light in it. 

“What?” Nicole held Waverly’s other hand, desperate to hold her so she wouldn’t slip away. She was afraid if she let go, she would realize that none of this was real. 

“I think something happened when you brought me back. I can hear you, but you aren’t talking. Like your thoughts are in my head.” She furrowed her eyebrows, and bit her lip, “And I want to kiss you, too.”

Nicole finally chuckled, “Well, this is fun, isn’t it?” She was finally washed over with the feeling of joy that Waverly was back. Waverly wasn’t dead. They may have to find out just what had happened in between dying and living, but they didn’t need to now. Now, they just needed to be with each other, bask in the feeling that they were both alive and okay. 

Waverly smiled, moving her hand back up to run through Nicole’s hair and pull her downwards. Nicole stopped as they were just inches apart, still needing the time to make sure this was all real. Had she saved her? If she did, how did she manage? Everything was so unreal; there was nothing that Nicole could think of that would’ve brought Waverly back, but she was happy about it regardless. She couldn’t be more relieved, but after such a painstaking heartbreak she found it hard to find the energy to express her relief. She felt like she needed a night to rest, and if she woke up and Waverly was still there, she’d be okay.    
  
“I’m sorry.” Nicole shook her head, pulling away, “I’m just trying to take it all in. I mean,” She looked down, struggling to even say the words. They brought the pain all over again; she hated that it was even something that happened, something that both of them had to experience. “You died, Waverly.”

Waverly looked at Nicole, searching for the words to reply. It seemed unreal to her, too, but she felt powerful for a reason she couldn’t place. She was in pain, but she felt so much joy. The feeling was bigger, though, bigger than she’d ever felt. It was like all her emotions were amplified; there was so much energy inside her, and she just wanted to express it. Nicole seemed to be the opposite, though, which Waverly could understand. 

“But I’m alive now. We’re both here, and we’re okay, and I can forgive you now for running out the dance because  _ you _ are the reason we’re both here and okay.” She propped herself up onto her elbows, reaching to grab Nicole’s hand again. 

“I just don’t understand.” Nicole looked down at their hands, watching Waverly’s thumb gently rub over the top of her hand. She took in the movements, the movements that meant she was definitely alive. She was alive and had more strength after dying than Nicole did right now. It didn’t make sense. 

Waverly gave Nicole’s hand a gentle squeeze, “Hey,” She struggled to sit up, but managed, “It doesn’t matter how it happened. What matters is that the two of us are alive right now. I know it doesn’t make sense, and that’s going to kill you, but sometimes we just have to trust the world. Like I trust you.” She brushed a strand of hair behind Nicole’s ear, which caused the redhead to finally look up at her again. 

“Like you trust me?” She questioned how a sensible trust between two people in love could ever amount to trusting the world, the world that tended to screw her over time and time again. 

“Like… when you taught me how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. You know why the algorithms make sense, like you know how the pieces fall in place. But me, I don’t know why. I trust you, though. So even if the algorithms don’t make sense to me, they still work.” Waverly tried her best to explain, but the metaphor was even complicated for her to understand. “What I’m trying to say is that the universe knows what it’s doing, and whatever happens makes sense to it just like the algorithms make sense to you and not me.”

Nicole nodded, deciding that just for right now she could trust the world, too. “That makes sense.” She gave her a soft smile, barely able to go any wider. 

“Aww, you think I’m cute,” Waverly heard Nicole again, trying to tease her enough to make her laugh again. She watched as Nicole’s smile grew a little more, which filled Waverly with all the love and joy in the world. 

“Can you turn that off now?” Nicole let out a chuckle, “I can control my powers, you have to, too.” She watched as Waverly focused herself, assuming she was trying to find out how to turn off the strength. 

Waverly’s eyes shut, and she opened one to look at Nicole as she hoped she shut it off. “Think something.”

Nicole did just that, relieved again that Waverly had figured out how to shut it off. She didn’t know what this all meant, but they could figure it out later. Some things had to be dealt with one step at a time, and right now they both needed time to take in the night. 

“It worked.” Waverly opened both eyes, gazing up at Nicole again. “Now, let’s try this again.” She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, watching the redhead become confused as to what they were trying again. “I love you, Nicole Haught.”

Nicole smiled, knowing that this one would be perfect and uninterrupted, “I love you, too, Waverly Earp.” She rested her forehead against Waverly’s, shutting her eyes and taking in the feeling. Her head stopped spinning for a moment, allowing her to truly soak in that it may all be real after all. 

Waverly let her hands cup Nicole’s face before she slowly brought their lips together, both of them relaxing even more as they treasured the feeling of kissing one another, the feeling that concluded that everything was real. Nicole knew for sure now that no dream could produce such a feeling, because kissing Waverly was a feeling that was alway new and could never be replicated, not even in a dream. 

As they kissed, Nicole took her necklace between her thumb and pointer finger, pressing it in. Her suit peeled off and she was left back in her purple dress, the dress that had quite a few spots of blood from the bullet wounds she forgot she’d acquired. She pulled away when the pain was noticeable, aware that she used her healing strength on Waverly rather than herself. “Sorry, I just,” She looked down, directing to the wounds, “I may need to fix this.” 

Waverly’s eyes widened when she realized what had happened all over again. She scanned over the wounds, having a weird feeling that she could help. Something in her clicked, like she knew that she could do something to heal her. She didn’t mean that she would put a bandage on it and clean it up, she felt like she could do something far more powerful. “Can I try something?”

Nicole raised an eyebrow, chuckling, “Sure.” 

“Okay,” Waverly studied Nicole a bit more, “Can you take off your dress? I just need to see the wounds. I’m not pulling anything.” Waverly set her hand on the zipper and didn’t move her hand until Nicole nodded and moved to the side. Waverly slowly pulled the zipper down, seeing just how bruised and scratched up Nicole had gotten. Most of the wounds, besides the bullets, were from the run home when Nicole could only stumble as she ran. 

Waverly got Nicole’s dress off her shoulders, setting her hands on a bruise on her back. “Am I hurting you?” She asked, pausing from focusing in on it. She wanted to help Nicole, but only if she wouldn’t cause her any more pain. The last thing she wanted was for her to feel any more pain because of her. 

Nicole shook her head, “Just a bit cold.” She joked. It wasn’t like Waverly had never seen her before, but now she suddenly felt insecure knowing how physically damaged she was, encountering scars that she would probably have her entire life. 

She felt Waverly lightly press her hand to her back, feeling a warmth underneath her touch, but not one that she typically felt. Waverly lifted her hand, seeing the bruise was gone. She smiled, feeling confident in her new found abilities. “Good news, Nicole.” She set her hand on another bruise and looked at Nicole over her shoulder. 

“Yeah?” Nicole looked back at her, a soft smile on her face that sent butterflies all throughout Waverly’s body. More joy was settling in Nicole. It was coming in little bursts every few minutes, and with each burst everything became a little easier to not understand. 

“I can quite literally hug all your problems away.” She moved her hand once more, over a scratch and pressed her hand there again, now seeing a purple glow underneath her palm. She looked back up to meet Nicole’s eyes again, seeing so many emotions wrapped up in one gaze. She lifted her hand and ran it through Nicole’s hair, “Looks like we’re in this super thing together now, huh?” She would usually be freaked out over such a drastic change, but dying put everything into a new perspective. She would take anything now, just as long as she doesn’t die again. Everything she did now she would fulfill because it was meant to happen. She was brought back to life for a reason and she would fulfill anything that came her way, not even taking the negatives for granted. 

“Guess so.” Nicole got up and found a change of clothes, getting out of her dress and into a t-shirt and boxers. She then grabbed a set of clothes for Waverly, who she assumed would stay the night. A part of her didn’t want to even allow her to go home yet. She needed her here, at least for tonight. She needed her near, she needed her comfort, she needed her stability. For once, Nicole was the one who was unstable, and she needed to lean on Waverly for the support. As much as she repulsed protection from anyone else, she needed it now. She needed the reassurance that everything was okay because right now she couldn’t depend on herself for that. 

Waverly took the clothes and started to change into them, out of her dress that had been ruined to say the least. “Is that okay?” She threw on the shirt, which was a bit too big for her and hung off one shoulder. The shorts were baggier, but they fit her better than the shirt. She felt comfortable in Nicole’s clothes, though. 

“Oh, it’s fine.” Nicole sat next to Waverly again, “I do have to train you, though. Hope that’s okay with you.” She started to pull the covers back, but settling on her knees to look at Waverly as she spoke. 

“Having to stare at your gorgeous smile, and hot muscles, and pretty red hair all day sounds like a dream, Haught. I think I’ll manage.” She laced her fingers with Nicole’s gently playing with her hand as she gazed into her eyes. 

Nicole’s cheeks flushed red, “I could say the same about you.” She admired the way Waverly looked in a t-shirt that was even too big for Nicole to fit in. She might’ve picked that one out on purpose, just so she could see how cute Waverly would look in it. “Also, you’ll stay here tonight, right?”

Waverly nodded, “Of course. I was assuming I was, anyway,” She laughed lightly and laid down with Nicole as she shut the lights off. The got under the covers and laid facing each other, hands still intertwined. 

“Waves,” Nicole adjusted her head on the pillow and gripped a bit tighter on to Waverly’s hand, “Don’t leave me again, okay? I’ve never been more scared in my entire life. I can’t handle that again.” Her hand trembled for a moment and Waverly definitely took notice. The brunette moved closer and kissed Nicole’s forehead, sliding an arm around her waist.

“I promise you, Nicole, with everything in me, I will never, ever leave you. Ever. I never want to be somewhere without you.” She rubbed her thumb over Nicole’s hand, “And being dead kind of sucks.” She laughed, which caused Nicole to join in for a moment.

“Please just don’t die on me again.” Nicole said again, trying not to feel the pain as it threatened to return.

Waverly was serious once more, “Never.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i told you all not to hate me!!! :) also im so sorry about the bad timing of the last chapter, with the finale having just aired and everything. i hope it wasnt a burden, but i would never leave you guys with waverly lowkey dead. im better than that.
> 
> ig: haughtart  
> tw: frootwyn


	17. first

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole helps waverly train.

“Nicole, babe, I can’t zap you,” Waverly said, panting as her and Nicole circled the mat in the basement. When Nicole said she would train Waverly, the brunette didn’t expect to have to hurt her own girlfriend. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

“It won’t hurt,” Nicole wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead, “Plus, I’m in suit. It won’t hurt me. Promise.” She sent a zap Waverly’s way, knowing the brunette could dodge it. “Now do the same do me. I’ll dodge, but try to hit me.” She sent another Waverly’s way, like a game of dodgeball except the balls were surges of electricity. Both were in suit, though, so not much damage could be done.

Waverly moved to the side and sent a zap Nicole’s way, who dodged it with cat-like agility. She sighed, sending another with minimum strength. She was worn out, and her suit was getting really hot on her. All she wanted to do was lay on the ground.

“Oh, Waverly,” Nicole laughed loudly, “You can do better than that. Those zaps couldn’t hurt a fly.” She sent one towards Waverly, causing her to duck and stand back up quickly.   
“That’s kind of the point,” Waverly tried to send out a more powerful one, “I don’t want to hurt you.” She pushed past another one of Nicole’s surges of electricity, just barely getting past it, “And you’re going way too hard on me.” She pouted, pushing out another weak ball of light.

“I’m going easy,” Nicole dodged the ball, “You’re just _weak_.” She instigated, smirking at Waverly taking offense to the insult. She needed to make her angry, or work her up enough to at least send out a more powerful zap. She didn’t want to fight with Waverly, but play fighting with electricity was how supers had fun. Sometimes you just had to use your powers for entertainment. “And I am not letting you come on missions with me when your zaps look like _that_.”

“Hey,” Waverly whined, “That’s not very nice.”

“Neither is your use of this power, babe. Hit me,” Nicole had a huge smile on her face. Every day after school for the past few weeks, they’d been training in Nicole’s basement, finally working up to the point where Waverly should be zapping her by now. They’d mastered what powers Waverly was capable of and learned to control them, and now they’d found a power they shared so Nicole was trying with everything in her to have a fun zap fight with Waverly. She couldn’t be happier than being way too active and using up all her energy on a game of dodging zaps. She missed the feeling of being out of breath and sweaty. She missed running around freely, play fighting with someone. She wasn’t going to let Waverly sell her short of a good game.

“Fine,” Waverly huffed and sent a bigger zap towards Nicole, who just barely got out the way fast enough.

“C’mon, you can do better, kiddo,” Nicole laughed and sent one to Waverly, who surprisingly caught it and expanded it.

“ _Kiddo_?” She threw the ball of energy to Nicole, hitting the redhead right in the stomach and pushing her to the ground. Nicole landed on the mat with a hard thud, impressed with what a bit of teasing could get out of Waverly. She knew she had the power in her, she just needed help getting it out.

“Oh no,” Waverly panicked and dropped to her knees, “You okay, baby? I’m sorry,” She started to move towards Nicole, who only laughed and sent a stream of light towards Waverly. Waverly jumped back and sent one back, the two streams hitting each other and growing into a swirling mass of purple and red light, bright enough to blind someone.

Nicole added a second hand, and Waverly mimicked the action, quickly picking up on certain ways to fight. She felt everything in her tighten, and she could barely hold herself up any longer. With an explosion of sparks from the light bulbs in the room, they both fell backwards.

Waverly held her breath and looked at Nicole, who erupted into a fit of laughter. She looked at Waverly, who wasn’t laughing in the slightest. “Oh, come _on_ , Waves. That was awesome.” She laughed more as she got up off the ground and dusted herself off.

“That wasn’t funny, Nicole,” Waverly reached her hand up as Nicole pulled her up, “You scared me.” She pressed into her necklace and returned to the clothes she had worn to school that day, as did Nicole.

“That was incredible,” Nicole grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs and out the basement. She passed her a water bottle and fixed one for herself, guiding the two of them upstairs. “You’re no fun.”

“Sorry that I don’t want to hurt my girlfriend.” Waverly nudged Nicole’s arm, bumping her into the stair rail. She thought training was fun and she loved messing around with Nicole, but the whole zapping each other situation wasn’t her style. She could zap bad guys, but Nicole was the opposite of a bad guy. Nicole was the best guy, and those don’t deserve to be hurt.

“You won’t hurt her,” Nicole replied, “You would make her very, very proud. And you did. Good use of the catching trick; I didn’t even know you could do that.” She reached the top of the stairs and plopped down onto her bed. It was finally Friday, and Waverly had convinced Nicole to hold off on all-day training on Saturday and Sunday. Instead, they were going to do what Waverly wanted, which was yet to be mentioned. All Nicole knew was that Waverly was staying over the night and had something in store for Nicole that wasn’t training and accidentally exploding lightbulbs.

They entered Nicole’s room, which now had a few new pictures and decorations. Waverly helped one weekend to make it a bit more Nicole, which meant adding a few glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, framed pictures of the two of them about the room, and a binder on Nicole’s desk dedicated to Waverly’s drawings. It was changed in a more positive, open way, just like Nicole.

Waverly plopped down on Nicole’s bed, taking a sip of water. Nicole pressed a kiss to the side of her head before putting on quiet music, just to lift the mood a bit more. It helped them to cool off, and the playlist was a combination of their two tastes that they’d collabed on. Sometimes Nicole would cringe at some cheesy pop song that Waverly had added, and other times Waverly would tease Nicole about the ‘weird vibe’ that her indie music had.

“So,” Nicole sat down next to Waverly, “What have you got in mind for tonight?” She gently brushed a few stray pieces of Waverly’s ponytail behind her ears, then playing with the ponytail itself. She twisted it around her finger, then let it fall, then repeated again. “Well I know what you’ve got in mind, but my parents will be home in an hour, so… maybe another time,” She chuckled, watching Waverly blush and look away with a smile on her face.

“Yeah,” Waverly shuddered at the feeling of Nicole playing with her ponytail, it bringing her back far too distinct feelings of a certain situation. A _hot, steamy, not-suitable-for-Nicole’s-parents-being-home_ situation. She leaned her head back for a moment, a smile still on her face, “Maybe some other time.” To her own torture, knowing she shouldn’t, she allowed herself to see what was behind that telling smirk of Nicole’s. She soaked in the feeling of her hair being played with as her head was filled with everything Nicole was thinking about her. Her heart stopped then sped up; her muscles tightened and she felt her stomach fill with butterflies.

She shook her head, shutting off Nicole’s thoughts.

“Woah, Waves…” Nicole chuckled, “You alright there?” She let go of her ponytail and rested her hand on Waverly’s shoulder. She gave it a gentle rub as Waverly turned to look back at her.

“I’m _fine_.” Waverly sighed and looked back at her, “Let’s get to my other plans, yeah? The ones that don’t involve the fact that your parents will be home soon.” It was her turn to play with Nicole’s hair. She ran her hands through it, twisting the edges around her finger a few times before letting her hand fall to hold Nicole’s face. She gently rubbed her thumb over a freckle under Nicole’s eye, which caused the redhead to blush and smile, her dimple sinking into her cheek below Waverly’s touch.

Nicole leaned into Waverly’s palm, “And what would those plans be?” She was content doing anything with Waverly. As long as they were together, she felt like everything was fun, and it made the previously boring scenarios the most fun filled.

“It’s really nothing special, I just thought we could do a puzzle.” Waverly got up and walked over to her bag, pulling out a 500 piece puzzle that she’d bought specifically for this weekend. It was of an undersea picture with a few fish, the main focus being on the couple of dolphins swimming by. “It’s cute, right?” She looked at the photo, smiling.

“Not as cute as you.” Nicole flirted as she got up off the bed and onto the floor. She pulled out a flat surface to do the puzzle on, then set it on the ground for them to sit and solve.

“Yeah, yeah,” Waverly blushed and sat next to Nicole, “You’re so cheesy.”

Nicole giggled and kissed her cheek, “You love me.”

Waverly sighed with a smile, “I do. You and all your dorky attributes.” She playfully nudged the redhead before spilling the pieces on to the floor, starting to separate the edges from the clutter of middle pieces. Nicole started to help, also picking out the corners when she happened upon them.

“Also, this is special. Everything is special with you, and I’m not saying that to be cheesy. I’m saying that because it’s true.” Nicole proved her charm yet again, earning another rush of red to fill Waverly’s cheeks.

“Oh, please,” Waverly nervously laughed, her heart swelling with adoration and love for Nicole. She could never quite find the proper comeback to Nicole’s charm, so it always left her speechless with a lovestruck smile on her face. She felt her whole body warm as she felt Nicole lean a bit closer to her as she reached for a puzzle piece. “You just want to rope me into kissing you.” Waverly tried at a confident reply, but her crimson cheeks couldn’t be disguised.

“Oh, please,” Nicole repeated, “If I wanted to rope you into kissing me, I would just ask.” She twisted Waverly’s ponytail around her finger again, but only once before she let it fall and moved her hand back to the puzzle.

“Such a tease, Haught,” Waverly scoffed, moving a piece into place as she did so, then trying another only to find that it didn’t fit.

Nicole found the proper piece that Waverly was looking for and slid it in, “I think the word you’re looking for is _charmer._ ” She picked up the box to look at the picture closer, trying to figure out which colors would go where. “And if you’re trying to rope me into kissing you, it _totally_ isn’t working.” Nicole turned to look at Waverly, a charming, dimpled smile on her face.

Waverly gave in and started to lean in, her nose nudging Nicole’s as it slid past. Their lips barely began to touch, smiles still on both their faces. As they brought them in to a close, a high pitched ring sounded in their ears.

“Ouch!” Waverly pulled away and held her ear, Nicole being a bit used to the frequency at this point. Nicole stood up and looked in front of her, quite annoyed that someone had interrupted her night in with Waverly. She read the details of the incident and saw that there was a robbery in action, and the men were armed. She started to suit up.

“I’m coming with you,” Waverly stood and pressed her necklace, letting the suit wrap itself around her and a pinkish glow settle in her skin.

“Waves-” Nicole looked at her with pleading eyes, not wanting to be the reason that she got hurt.

“Nicole,” Waverly cut her off before she could say anything else, “You said everything happens for a reason, right? I’m here for a reason, I’m able to help you for a reason, and I’m going to fulfill that. Got it?” She grabbed Nicole’s hand tight.

Nicole nodded, “Just don’t die, okay?” She nervously chewed at her lip as she looked toward the window, ready to go out and fight the crime at hand.

“Yeah, okay, ditto.” Waverly gave her a reassuring smile before nodding toward the window, “Let’s go, yeah?”

With hesitation, Nicole nodded again as the two of them made their way out. She didn’t let go of Waverly’s hand as they rippled through the sky, and she continuously took glances over, just to make sure she was okay. She wouldn’t be able to handle herself if she let Waverly get hurt again, but she wasn’t going to keep Waverly from exercising her powers, either. She was right when she was saying that everything happened for a reason, and Nicole couldn’t mess with fate.

They made their way to the museum where the attempted robbery was taking place, creeping towards the door. “A little trick I’ve picked up,” Nicole started, “If you just walk through the door, it catches them more off guard than if you make a big entrance.” She set her hand on the handle, giving a second look to Waverly, “You sure you’re ready?”

“Yes, Nicole,” Waverly pushed the doors open and walked in, already eyeing the four men involved in the heist. Two of them ran off, and two of them pointed guns right at the two heroes.

“You chase the runners,” Nicole said, “I’ve got these two. Go.” She ran quickly towards the two men as Waverly sprinted off to get the other two, which caused the ones with the guns to panic about which one they were going to shoot at. Bullets went flying, but none of them made it to either Nicole or Waverly.

“Nice aim, idiots.” Nicole grabbed both their guns and pointed them at the men, laughing a bit at the fear in their eyes. She wasn’t going to shoot, but after all, she was always a tease. One of them tried to reach for the gun back, but she jumped from his attempt with a laugh, “Wow, not the gentleman type, are we?” She actually felt happy as she fought them off. She knew she was doing good for the city, and she knew that this was something she now shared with the girl she loved. This wasn’t a weight on her anymore. She wasn’t angry when she was Ultrared anymore; this was a new kind of Ultrared.

She held both guns back, smirking at the fact that she had these two imbeciles wrapped around her finger now, “You like these guns, don’t you boys?” She talked down to them, looking up at the guns in her hands, “Hmm,” She clenched her fists and they fell into dust on the ground, “Oops.” She watched as they went to tackle her, but she dodged each attempt. Instead of taking the hits, she grabbed them both by the shirts and threw them to the ground, holding them in place. It reminded her of when she took down Champ and Tucker, and she was filled with a similar satisfaction.

“Nice one, babe,” Waverly winked as she dragged in the two other men, both of their torsos wrapped in a purple rope, “Also, look what I figured out I could do?” She giggled, not being as scared as she thought she would be.

“Rope?” Nicole nodded in approval, “Nice.” A smile wiped over her face as she watched Waverly sit both the men on the ground, poking fun at how they had been taken down in just a few minutes, and teasing them for running so slow. The two heroes were laughing at their own jokes, having a great amount of fun being on the job together. Nicole never realized that being Ultrared could be so fun. She never realized just how incredible Waverly was, either. Of course, she knew she was incredible, but she just proved to be even more, and Nicole fell even more in love.

The cops arrived and took over, and Nicole had the pleasure of pulling Waverly from the scene before any cameras or news channels showed up. If Waverly was going to join the super scene, she was at least going to keep Nicole’s tradition of never staying after a crime. She tugged her up and they were back in the air, still hand in hand.

“You stayed for me, though, didn’t you?” Waverly asked, “When I was in the middle of that fight.” She gripped tighter onto Nicole’s hand.

Nicole nodded, “I sure did.” She smiled softly at her, “I kind of liked you.” She chuckled, causing Waverly to laugh as well.

“Thank you for staying. I never got to tell you that.” Waverly didn’t take her eyes off Nicole, figuring Nicole would guide them back home.

Nicole’s smile grew, “Always.”

_NEW HERO IN TOWN? INFRAVIOLET MAKES HER APPEARANCE._

_ULTRARED HAS A NEW PARTNER IN CRIME! INFRAVIOLET TO SAVE PURGATORY._

_INFRAVIOLET IS THE NEW HERO IN TOWN!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiii this was a fun chapter. also next week's chapter has some of my favorite bits in it so im really excited for you all to read it!


	18. comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nicole and waverly celebrate their first mission together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of my favorite chapters i really cant wait to see what yall think

“Infraviolet, huh? I dig it.” Nicole and Waverly were back at the puzzle on Nicole’s bedroom floor, and had actually snuck in a few drinks when Nicole’s parents said that they were working late at the hospital. Nicole had checked her phone in the middle of the puzzle and stumbled upon the new news articles about her and Waverly.

“That’s me, I guess.” Waverly chuckled, already a bit tipsy as she had been drinking for the past hour or so from the second they got back from their first mission together. She turned towards Nicole, throwing her legs over her lap and wrapping her arms around her neck. “Ultrared and Infraviolet. I love it.” She nuzzled her nose against Nicole’s and pulled away with a smile. “And I love you,” She grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took a sip, “And I love this.” She set the bottle back down then stood up, “Let’s put on some music.” She stumbled over to the speaker, unlocking Nicole’s connected phone and going to her own playlist. 

Nicole took a sip of the whiskey this time, “Something good, babe.” She laid back on the floor, pushing the board that the puzzle was on to the side. 

Waverly smiled as the intro to ‘Dancing Queen’ started, “Everyone loves ABBA.” She mindlessly started dancing, Nicole watching with drunken giggles. The disco lights from the speaker circled the room, lighting it up since the lights had been turned off by Waverly.

Nicole laughed more as Waverly grabbed her hand and pulled her up, “C’mon, dancing queen. You’re still 17.” Waverly winked as she pulled Nicole up the rest of the way both of them in fits of laughter as they danced. Waverly was singing loudly, and even roped Nicole into shouting the lyrics, too. Nicole was all smiles as she spun Waverly around a few times, the two of them starting to emit their designated glows: Waverly pink and Nicole blue. 

By the end of the song, the rest of the whiskey had been drained and they started on a new bottle of alcohol that they found, continuing the celebration of their triumphs. They danced barefoot around Nicole’s room, dressed in pajamas, using a hairbrush and a bottle of hairspray as microphones. After a few ABBA songs, Nicole picked up her phone and put on ‘Teenagers’ by My Chemical Romance, smirking at the first few beats. She remembered always having this song on her playlists when she was around 14, and it still gave her that same fill of adrenaline. 

Waverly smiled, too, picking up this song from when Wynonna went through a phase of loving it. She mimicked an air guitar, pretending to strum in tune to the song, and Nicole took over the role of screaming the lyrics. Before they knew it, they were both up on Nicole’s bed, screaming the chorus and laughing at nothing at all. The laughter was out of pure happiness of being with one another, and coming out of their first super-situation alive and without any injuries. 

When the song switched to another 2000’s hit, they made their way downstairs to get snacks, now on their way to being really, really intoxicated. Nicole had never really drank before, so she had no idea how to handle alcohol. Waverly had only drank on a few other occasions, but never had she gotten too drunk. The most drunk she had ever gotten was on the night that her and Nicole first kissed, and now she was no longer afraid of screwing anything up if she got a good bit over tipsy. 

She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s waist as the redhead grabbed a few snacks, which caused them both to break into giggles again at the happy affection. Waverly started peppering kisses on Nicole’s shoulder and up her neck, which made Nicole’s cheeks a bright pink, and her eyes light up with the feeling of solace and bliss. 

“You’re cute,” Waverly looked up at Nicole, poking her nose and resting her head over her shoulder.

“Naww,  _ you’re _ cute.” Nicole kissed Waverly’s nose, causing it to scrunch up adorably. She could never quite believe just how cute Waverly was, and how she got so lucky to be with someone so perfect. 

“But you,” Waverly ran her hand through Nicole’s hair, really analyzing her face, “You, Nicole, are so,  _ so, _ cute.” She smiled at Nicole’s puppy-eyes, and the way her dimple sunk into her cheek when she smiled at the compliment. “The cutest.” Waverly poked her nose again, the nose that had turned pink with blush. Nicole smiled more and turned to look away, bringing the few snacks back up to her room with Waverly following close behind. Nicole put the snacks on the ground, then stood back up, turning to Waverly.

“I love you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole told her, settling from her drunken laughs, “And nothing will ever tear us apart.” 

Waverly smiled up at her girlfriend in awe, nodding, “Ditto.” She got up on the tips of her toes and cupped Nicole’s face, crashing their lips together. Nicole kissed back happily, and the two of them stumbled their way over to the bed, where Waverly straddled Nicole’s hips and held her face in her hands. “Hey,” She pulled back for just a few moments, keeping their faces close. “Remember those plans we talked about earlier? The  _ not-safe-for-your-parents-being-home _ plans?”

Nicole grinned as she pulled Waverly down and flipped them over, “Oh, I know  _ exactly _ what plans you’re talking about.” She leaned down and pressed her lips to Waverly’s, the adrenaline soaring through her veins as she felt Waverly’s hands sneaking up under her shirt, gently clawing at her back. Her hands trailed back down until they were at the bottom of Nicole’s t-shirt, slowly dragging it upwards as Nicole trailed the kisses downwards.

The music still played what had been switched to more suiting music for their situation, only filling them with more energy. Waverly’s breathing was rapid as she finally lifted Nicole’s shirt off of her, her hands immediately grasping Nicole’s sides afterwards. Her blood was rushing as they continued to kiss, and only heightened after Nicole pulled the shirt she was wearing over her head and threw it to another part of the room. 

Waverly moved her hands to hold Nicole’s face before trailing down her neck and onto her collarbones, leaving a trail of a pink glow. On Nicole’s back were fuchsia handprints, some brighter than others. On Waverly glowed blue handprints and blue lip prints trailing down her neck. The pair weren’t glowing themselves, but they were leaving their traces on one another, without even fully realizing they were covered in each other’s prints. 

Nicole pulled apart from the everlasting kiss, forehead pressed against Waverly’s as they breathed heavily, “You’re sure, right?” She checked, even if it was clear that Waverly was sure, she never wanted to proceed if she didn’t ask first. 

Waverly smiled as she nodded, propping herself up on her elbows, “I have to ask you something now, too.” She slowly pushed herself upwards, starting to turn them over. She watched as Nicole furrowed her eyebrows for a second as she let Waverly straddle her waist, still keeping their faces merely inches apart. “Are  _ you _ sure?” She looked up and down Nicole’s body, smirking a bit at the handprints that she was able to leave. 

Nicole realized what Waverly was implying and nodded, “Totally.” She also took a moment to gaze at the glowing blue prints she’d left on Waverly, now itching to leave even more. She placed her hands at Waverly’s hips, fingerprints glowing beneath her fingertips. 

Hands cupping Nicole’s face, Waverly crashed her lips onto the redhead’s, slowly moving to hover over her instead of straddling her hips. She let her hands slide down Nicole’s chest, leaving a streak of glowing fuschia. Nicole was leaving the same pattern on Waverly’s back as she gripped her closer, kissing her harder. 

 

-

 

The pair was asleep together the next morning, tired and soon-to-be hungover after having a bit too much fun the night before. A particular Calamity Jane pounced up onto Nicole’s bed after feeling left out of the affection, and started trying to squeeze herself between the two. 

Nicole groaned as she felt the cat gently stepping on her stomach, waking her from her sleep. She started to pet her cat so she would settle down, then nuzzled her head back against Waverly’s so she could fall back asleep. 

“Nicole?” Waverly rasped, furrowing her eyebrows as she moved herself closer to her girlfriend. She tucked her head under Nicole’s, tiredly digging her face into Nicole’s neck and taking in the sweet scent of the t-shirt she was wearing. 

“Morning,” Nicole found one of Waverly’s hands and laced their fingers together, enjoying laying down with her even if Calamity Jane had interrupted. Just lying in comfortable silence with Waverly was one of the best feelings in the world. Everything felt so peaceful and right, and Nicole, though not verbal about it, was a big lover of affection. She loved having someone near her, especially if that someone was Waverly. 

Calamity Jane moved herself upwards to Nicole’s chest, rubbing her head against Waverly’s so she could get attention from the two of them. Waverly took the hand that wasn’t holding Nicole’s and brought it to the cat, gently petting it as it laid back down, “I’ve got you, CJ.” Her hand occasionally bumped into Nicole’s as they both pet the cat, but it was a reassuring touch of knowing she was there, even if they were laid right next to each other. 

Nicole smiled at the interaction between Waverly and Calamity Jane, the calming atmosphere enveloping her. Her eyes remained shut as they laid together, the only noise being Calamity Jane’s purrs and their breathing. Their fingers bumped again, causing Waverly to chuckle lightly, opening her eyes tiredly to see where Nicole’s hand was. She tangled her fingers into Nicole’s, whose hand was still scratching Calamity Jane’s head. 

Nicole smiled softly, lacing her fingers with Waverly’s, “CJ isn’t going to like this very much.”

“Sorry, CJ, it’s my turn to have Nicole’s attention,” Waverly brought their hands closer to her, nuzzling against Nicole’s hand. She felt its warmth against her cheek, filling her with the utmost relaxation and love. Warm, tingly love. 

“She’s not gonna like that,” Nicole shifted a bit, sinking even closer to Waverly, “But I do.” Her forehead rested against Waverly’s, and she wasn’t falling back asleep, but she felt the relaxation as if she was. Waverly had one of the most comforting presences that Nicole had ever been around, not to mention that she wasn’t just comforting in her energy; she was also so physically comforting, and Nicole found it virtually impossible to feel anything but bliss around her. 

Meanwhile, Nicole was like a teddy bear to Waverly, always there to hold and to listen to anything she had to say. Nicole was so grounding, and her strengths matched Waverly’s weaknesses, and vice versa. They were like puzzle pieces, the most cliche, perfect fit for each other. 

“Hey, Nicole?” Waverly opened her eyes again, speaking quietly and matching the calm atmosphere. 

“Yeah, Waves?” Nicole opened her eyes as well, looking to make eye contact with Waverly.

“Nothing. Just wanted to say that I love you. Because I really, really do.” Waverly watched Nicole smile, which out a smile on her face as well, “I just wanted to remind you.”

“Well you reminded me last night,” Nicole teased, giving Waverly’s hand a gentle squeeze. 

Waverly scoffed, sending her into a laugh, “An ‘I love you, too’ would be nice, you know.”

“I love you, too.” Nicole surrendered, gazing lovingly into Waverly’s eyes as she reflected over last night, then over just the past few minutes with her, feeling overcome with love. Her heart could barely even handle just how much she felt for Waverly, and she felt it growing in size with each passing second. Waverly had become her constant in life. Her ‘if everything changes, this will remain’ in life. Her steadiness. 

Waverly smiled again, moving herself upwards to press her lips to Nicole’s, softly and slowly. Her hands untangled themselves from Nicole’s to cup her face and glide into her hair. Nicole happily kissed back, her arms circling around Waverly’s back, hugging her close. The kiss lasted a few seconds, but didn’t move any further. They pulled apart, a smile on both their faces. Calamity Jane, however, butted her frowning face in between them, looking for more attention from Nicole.

Waverly placed her head back down next to Nicole’s on the pillow, “No fair, CJ. You live with her.” She pouted as she brought her hand to the cat’s head, still not being able to resist petting it. 

Nicole chuckled, “As if we haven’t been together nearly every day since Christmas break started.” They had been flinging back and forth between each other’s houses, occasionally going on a few dates in between hanging out during the day. The weekends, they decided, were for spending the night if they were able to. 

“Yeah, but still.” Waverly’s hand bumped Nicole’s, and she resisted the urge to intertwine their fingers again.

“Someone’s clingy today,” Nicole teased, “Not that I mind.” She felt Waverly grin, their faces close enough for her to sense the movement. She let a grin occupy her face, too, knowing that she liked Waverly’s attention just as much as Waverly liked hers. In mornings like these, they were so wrapped up in the comfortability of one another that they just couldn’t get enough of it. It was their chance to feel like time was slowed and that they had nothing to worry about.

“Definitely not me,” Waverly’s face scrunched up as she shook her head, “You’re talking about CJ, right?” 

“Totally,” Nicole chuckled, then feeling the bed dip a bit more with the familiar sound of a jingling collar. Calamity Jane scattered off her chest as she sat up, seeing Cleo had jumped up and was standing next to Waverly. 

“Cleo,” Nicole laughed, sitting up the rest of the way, “Joining the party, huh?” She reached over and scratched behind the dog’s ears, earning a lick on the hand from the pitbull. 

Waverly sat up as well, starting to pet Cleo with Nicole, finding herself smiling at the three of them. She felt so at home here, with Nicole and her pets. She knew they were too young to be thinking about the future, and they were in such a position to where it was impossible to think of what the future even holds, but Waverly knew that she could stay like this forever. She’d learned a thing or two about fate, and this felt just like it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooo! i really hoped yall like this and id love your feedback because i get so happy reading the comments. :)
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


	19. out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> waverly and nicole go back to the homestead after a crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy early update! im updating this today rather than tomorrow because tomorrow is halloween and i wont have time lol.

The couple made their way back to the homestead after another perfect crime scene. Nicole found it much easier to fight when she had Waverly by her side; it was no longer a chore, but a reward. She no longer felt a raging fear of the outcome because she had Waverly, who she could laugh with even when fighting crime. 

They landed outside the door, getting back into their regular clothes as they landed, since Wynonna was home. 

“You okay?” Waverly asked before walking in, just checking in to make sure Nicole didn’t get hurt in the process. 

“Perfect. You?” Nicole replied, just praying that Waverly hadn’t gotten hurt. She’d yet to experience anything major, and Nicole hoped to keep it that way. She would never stop blaming herself if Waverly got hurt on the job. 

“Also perfect,” Waverly smiled up at her and pulled her in for a kiss, taking Nicole by surprise. Waverly’s hand on the back of Nicole’s neck filled her with warmth, making the brisk, winter air outside seem easy to withstand. “Sorry,” Waverly pulled away, “I just wanted to get one in before we hang out with my sister.”

“Oh, you don’t ever have to apologize for something like that,” Nicole winked, then following Waverly inside to find Wynonna sitting on the couch. She looked up when the pair entered, smiling at seeing her sister home.   
  
“Hey, Waves,” She waved, then directing her eyes to Nicole and pretended to tip a hat that she wasn’t wearing, “Waverly’s girlfriend.” 

Waverly stopped in her tracks, feeling her breath get caught in her throat. She hadn’t told Wynonna yet, even though she knows she should have. She immediately regretted not telling her sister, hoping she wouldn’t be too angry that Waverly kept this from her. 

Nicole watched as Waverly tensed up, but she was incapable of moving herself. She managed to smile back at Wynonna, but she wasn’t aware that she knew. She didn’t think that Waverly had even told her. Wynonna wasn’t typically home when Waverly and Nicole spent time at the homestead, so it hadn’t even crossed Nicole’s mind that she’d one day have to face Wynonna as Waverly’s girlfriend. 

“Oh, don’t think I don’t know. Listen, I may be oblivious sometimes, but this was kind of hard to miss.” Wynonna directed to the two of them, “Waverly, I’ve been in your room before. I’ve seen the pictures you have in there.” She shook her head, “Also, and though I know this is going to mortify you, I once came home when you two were hanging out here, and these walls are thin. Don’t worry, I left as soon as I entered.”

Waverly couldn’t find the words or courage to even speak. It was one thing to have Wynonna know about her and Nicole, and it was another thing to know that she had heard them. She figured she should be thankful that Wynonna left them alone, but she wasn’t expecting this conversation to happen like this. She couldn’t stand it. 

Wynonna stood up and held Waverly’s shoulders, “I was going to wait for you to tell me, but you finally brought the redhead over while I’m home, and I didn’t want you to have to hide away from me. I’m sorry.” She kissed Waverly’s forehead then turned to Nicole, her eyes burning into the redhead’s, “And  _ you _ . If you hurt her, I will end you. Don’t even think about it.” 

Nicole put her arms up in defense, “I wouldn’t hurt her even if my life depended on it.” She felt her heart beating out her chest. She was intimidated by Wynonna and just wanted her to like her. It was the simplest thing, to want to be liked by your girlfriend’s family, but it felt like the whole world to Nicole. 

Waverly let out a breath and smiled softly, placing her hand on top of the one Wynonna had pointed at Nicole so she could put it down. “She has a name.”

Wynonna looked back at Waverly, raising an eyebrow.

Nicole stuck out a hand, offering it to Wynonna, “Nicole. Nicole Haught.” 

“Haught? Oh, I am going to have a lot of fun with that.” Wynonna shook her hand, deciding that, for now, Nicole was good. To Wynonna, of course, no one would ever be good enough for her little sister, but already she could tell that Nicole cared about her, and cared about what Wynonna thought of her as well. 

Waverly smiled, her cheeks a bright pink as she pulled the two girls into a hug, squeezing them tight. She figured it was for the best that she didn’t have to come out to Wynonna herself. This was much more in character for how things usually worked between them. And of all the ways she imagined Wynonna finding out about her and Nicole, she couldn’t ask for anything better than Wynonna’s loving wit. 

She squeezed the two tighter, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. 

Wynonna and Nicole reluctantly let Waverly hug them, trying hard to ignore their smushed faces, silently hoping for the group squeeze to be over soon. The two were both trying to focus more on Waverly’s affection than the accidental affection they were giving each other. They were still strangers to each other at this point; they didn’t need to be roped into a crushing Waverly-hug on the night they first meet. 

Waverly let go and Nicole and Wynonna let out the breath they were both holding. Wynonna, sighing, looked at Waverly lovingly, but protectively, “We’ll talk later, okay?” She nodded towards Waverly’s room, “Go spend time with Haught-shit here. I’m assuming that’s what you came here to do.”

“Later,” Waverly nodded as she grabbed Nicole’s hand, “Thank you.”

“Just don’t have loud sex. That’s all I ask.” Wynonna did not want another mishap like the one she had a while back. It wasn’t ideal.

“Bye,” Waverly pulled Nicole toward the stairs, starting to jog up them, trying to shake the embarrassment, anxiety, and vulnerability of it all.   

“And I’m going to have a talk with you, too, Red!” Wynonna shouted as they neared the top of the stairs. 

“Got it!” Nicole shouted back, already somehow feeling welcomed in the tiny Earp family. She figured Wynonna was like that all the time, and not just being cold to her. She was intimidated, yes, but she didn’t feel cast out. And she hoped to build a bond with Wynonna just like Waverly has with her family. 

“I’m sorry about her,” Waverly laughed lightly, half nerves half genuine laughter. She shut the door behind her as Nicole sat on the bed, chuckling a bit with her girlfriend. “She’s just protective.”

Nicole shook her head, “No, don’t apologize for her. I understand.” She smiled softly up at Waverly, who grabbed her hands and looked down at her. She was standing in front of Nicole, heart eyes gazing down at her, hands interlocked. 

She smiled as she gave Nicole’s hands a gentle squeeze, “You’re the best.” She let go of one of her hands and booped Nicole’s nose, causing the redhead to scrunch it up and blush, looking down with a shy laugh. Her heart fluttered.

Waverly grinned once more before climbing onto her bed and resting against the pillows, reaching a hand out to Nicole, “Come over here. You’re too far.” Her legs rested over Nicole’s lap, but she wanted her closer, as close as they could get. Though Wynonna was definitely the best she could be in the situation, Waverly still felt leftover jitters from suddenly feeling so exposed. And now that she was laid in bed, the true side-effects of such surprising vulnerability washed over her. She needed to feel the comfort of someone; she needed to feel like she wasn’t just standing out in the open by herself. 

Nicole laughed lightly and moved to lie next to Waverly, who was sitting up against the pillows. She laid her head down next to where Waverly’s hip was, and grabbed the hand that she was holding out for her. 

Waverly shook her head, “Still too far, love.”

“So needy,” Nicole pushed herself up to sit right up next to Waverly, smiling softly at her, “Better?”

Waverly scrunched her face up as she shrugged, “I think you could be a little bit closer.” She reached her arms out and wrapped them around Nicole, pulling her into another tight embrace. Nicole’s head fell to Waverly’s shoulder, her face smushed up against her skin as she squeezed her tighter. Waverly nuzzled her cheek against Nicole’s head and smiled contently, the comfort overtaking the previous fear. Of course, she wasn’t scared of Wynonna, but the feeling of knowing that something she’d been hiding for so long was now out in the spotlight was both relieving, yet so, so frightening. 

“Nicole?” Waverly said softly, once she was content with their tangled position. 

“Yeah?” Nicole sensed that Waverly was on edge, so she didn’t bother trying to budge from the hug. It wasn’t like she minded it anyway; Waverly’s hugs were her favorite. 

Waverly rested her head on the top of Nicole’s, “Thank you.”   
  
“For what?” Nicole questioned, her arms now sliding loosely around Waverly’s waist. 

“Just being you. And loving me, and being so cool with my sister, and being so understanding, and caring, and perfect,” Waverly bit her lip as a few tears threatened to spill out her now-glossy eyes. “And for saving my life,” She sniffled as she let out a laugh, “That was pretty cool, too.”

Nicole smiled softly, the sound of Waverly about to cry bringing tears to her eyes, too. “I could thank you for the same things. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Waves. You’re pretty fricken awesome.”

Waverly smiled happily, “Oh, hush, lover girl.” Her cheeks went red, with a hint of a glowing purple as her heart beat faster for the girl in her arms. 

Nicole laughed, a sound that Waverly treasured every time she heard it. “Back at ‘ya.” 

“What a romantic,” Waverly giggled, kissing the top of Nicole’s head, “First, you say ‘ditto’ after I was clearly trying to seduce you. Now, you say ‘back at ‘ya’ when I’m clearly trying to be all in love with you and whatnot.” 

“I’m sorry,” Nicole laughed a bit more, “I guess I just get a bit lost for words.” She looked up at Waverly, “You tend to have that effect on me.” She smiled a charming smile, and Waverly felt herself fall in love with it all over again, just like the first time. 

“Well, maybe we can just stop talking,” Waverly started leaning in as Nicole leaned up, pressing their lips together. Waverly smiled into it, letting her hands slide up to cup Nicole’s face, hands tangling themselves in her red hair. 

Nicole pushed herself upward and let her hands fall to Waverly’s hips, kissing her for just a few more seconds before parting away, “I’d love to continue, but I’m trying to not get killed by your sister. And I think the best way to do that is to not have her walk in on us… you know.” 

“Making out?” Waverly laughed lightly, “Baby, I appreciate your respect for my sister, but I really don’t think she’ll be walking in any time soon.”

“She could, though.” Nicole replied, letting her head fall back to Waverly’s chest. “And I’m looking to make a good first impression if she does.”

Waverly sighed and grabbed the remote for the TV in surrender, holding Nicole close again, “I guess I agree. Though I think she’d be more repulsed by us cuddling if I’m being completely honest with you.”

“I appreciate the honesty,” Nicole chuckled, starting to feel tired as she rested comfortably in Waverly’s arms. Being in her embrace put her in a relaxed state that just couldn’t be mimicked by anything else. It was the perfect bliss, and nothing was more comfortable or safe than that bliss. It was everything she needed after the stress of a night fighting crime. It was balance, something that Nicole’s life never had before Waverly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter is the last :((( im gonna miss this so much. also everyone please have a happy and safe halloween!
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


	20. end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last chapter of holding out for a hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am actually SO upset this is ending, but i hope this last chapter suffices!

Christmas.

Nicole and Waverly’s families would meet for the first time at a Christmas party at the Haught household. Waverly and her family would arrive at around ten the next morning, and they were staying for the day. Nicole had cleaned every inch of the house behind her mom’s doing and made sure every decoration was perfectly in place. She’d adjusted the stockings about four times over, and moved certain ornaments on the tree to make sure that it was absolute perfection.

Christmas parties with the Haught family weren’t what someone would expect from someone as reserved as Nicole. They played games together, did karaoke where everyone had to go up and sing at some point, and one of Nicole’s older cousins would always dress up as Santa for the few younger ones there. Nicole loved Christmas, and she couldn’t wait to share that with Waverly. If only she could just get everything right.

“Nicole? Sweetheart, what are you still doing out here?” Nicole’s mother, Carrie, walked into the living room where Nicole was still working hard to set out everything. At this point, she was already in her Christmas themed pajamas, having came right back out to clean up after she showered.

“I’m just finishing up.” She fluffed a throw pillow and set it back on the couch.

“You said you were finishing up about two hours ago,” Carrie chuckled, “Everything looks perfect. Go get some sleep.”

“Are you sure? I was thinking of dusting the photos up on the shelf.” She looked up at them, most of them were of her over the course of her childhood, but they had recently added one of her and Waverly. “Dust them… again.”

“Nicole,” Carrie set a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, “Do I have to call Santa and tell him not to come?”

Nicole broke into laughter, “Really?” She remembered her mother telling her that when she’d have trouble falling asleep on Christmas Eve as a child. Too much excitement.

“Really.” Carrie laughed with her, “But, seriously, you should head up. The house looks great, and we’re all going to have a great party tomorrow, okay? You get to force Waverly to do some karaoke with us.”

Nicole looked at the karaoke machine that she had checked to be in sync with the TV about six times. Of course, with that, she’d sang ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ with her dad at least once to get in the spirit. But suddenly, she wasn’t sure if it was really connected. “I should check again to make sure the old thing still works.”

“No,” Carrie set both hands on Nicole’s shoulders now, “Everything is fine. Go up to bed before Santa gets here. I think I hear the reindeers on their way.” She used to say she saw Rudolph’s red nose in the sky and Nicole would immediately scurry up to bed and force herself to sleep so she would be asleep when Santa came.

Nicole sighed with another short laugh, “Fine.”

“There we go,” Her mother gave her a short kiss on the forehead before starting to walk back to her room, “Goodnight, Nicole. Don’t check the machine when I’m gone.”   


“Goodnight, and I won’t.” Nicole resisted the urge to quickly pull it up and turned towards the stairs, hoping to at least get a few hours of sleep to prepare for the next day.

 

-

 

Nicole got dressed in her best button-up shirt and a pair of jeans with a Santa hat to top it off. Her hat said ‘naughty’ while her dad’s said ‘nice,’ even though Carrie insisted that it should be the other way around. She sat on the couch with Christmas music playing quietly in the background, adjusting the dog Santa hat that she bought for Cleo. She had a gift for Waverly under the tree and even went out to find something for Wynonna, with Waverly’s help of course.

There were three quick knocks on the door before Nicole’s head shot up and saw her dad letting the guests in. It was her aunt with her twins: a boy and a girl aged six, named Finley and Quinn. They both immediately ran up to Nicole, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Hey, you two,” Nicole smiled and hugged them back, Quinn staying with her while Finley ran off to mess with Nicole’s dad.

“My mommy told me you’re bringing someone.” She said, sitting herself on Nicole’s lap, “She said that your mommy told her.”   
  
“Is that a good thing?” Nicole asked, actually excited for the rest of her family to meet Waverly.

Quinn nodded, “It’s about time.”   
  
Nicole threw her head back in laughter, always finding it funny how sassy Quinn was. She always said what she was thinking, and Nicole couldn’t even be hurt. “I guess it is, huh?”

“So you  _ are _  bringing someone?”

Nicole nodded happily, “My girlfriend is coming. Her name is Waverly.”

“That’s a pretty name.” Quinn smiled, “We can all be best friends?” She started to look towards the door every time a noise was made near it. She was excited to have a new member of the family, always being a social butterfly.

“Of course,” Nicole nodded, then feeling her phone vibrate. She picked it up and saw that Waverly had finally arrived. She smiled wide, “She’s here.” She got Quinn off her lap and walked towards the door, opening it right before Waverly knocked. She had one hand raised to the door, laughing once she saw Nicole had opened it before she could knock.

“Hey, you,” She wrapped her arm that wasn’t holding a gift around Nicole and pulled her in for a hug, “Merry Christmas, babe.” She let go and held up the gift she’d gotten for Nicole, who told her to thank you and to set it under the tree.

Wynonna was next to walk up to Nicole, “We aren’t on a hugging basis yet, but Merry Christmas, Haughtshot. Thanks for having us,” She gave Nicole a pat on the shoulder before going to meet Waverly, who was bent down meeting Quinn.

Next in was Gus, someone who Nicole had never met before, but was greeted by with all the respect in the world. Gus stuck her hand out, “I’m Waverly and Wynonna’s aunt. You can call me Gus.”

Nicole smiled and shook her hand, “Nicole Haught. And my parents are right over there, since I’m assuming you may want to meet them.”

Gus nodded, “Thanks, and Merry Christmas,” She gave Nicole a kind smile before walking towards the kitchen, where Nathan and Carrie were. Waverly ran back up to Nicole’s side, “I met your best friend,” She giggled, “And she’s my best friend, too now.”

Nicole laughed lightly, “I hope it’s okay that I told her that we’d all be best friends.” She grabbed Waverly’s hand, guiding her to sit on the couch.

“Of course it’s okay,” Waverly sat next to Nicole and kissed the top of her hand, hoping to settle any nerves she may have about the day.

 

-

 

“Nic!” Quinn shouted, holding the microphone to the karaoke machine in her hand as she bounced up and down, “Come sing!” She dropped the microphone and ran to Nicole, grabbing one of her hands and then one of Waverly’s, “You too, Wave!”

Nicole stood up and turned to Waverly, who was still sat down. She held out her hand, “It’s tradition here, Earp.”

Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand, secretly extremely thankful to be pulled into tradition. The only tradition she really had at Earp Christmases was to put the ‘menstruangle’ on the top of the tree, which Wynonna usually did anyway. She craved a family tradition, and that’s exactly what Nicole was pulling her into. Family. A family with tradition.

They walked up to the front of the living room, all the guests spread among the couches. Everyone had been taking turns, just like every year. Nicole chose out ‘Santa Baby’, a song she knew to be one of Waverly’s favorites. They both grabbed a microphone, and Waverly started out singing, something Nicole never knew she could do so beautifully.

“ _ Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree for me.” _

Nicole felt herself fall even deeper in love. Her mouth slightly open with surprise at the angelic voice that Waverly just sang with. She could listen to her sing forever, focusing hard on taking in every line. She didn’t know when she’d get such a privilege again. Waverly proved once again that there was nothing she couldn’t do.

_ “Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight. _ ”

Nicole started singing the next lines, but still kept a look with Waverly. A look that spoke the words:  _I had no idea you could sing, and why did you not tell me?_    
  
Waverly got the message and shrugged adorably, listening to her girlfriend take the next lines. To her surprise, Nicole wasn’t too bad herself.

 

-

 

As the night drew in for a close and the guests had already left, Waverly and Nicole sat in Nicole’s room on the floor, against the bed. Their fingers were intertwined and they were toying with each other’s hands, soft touches that made the butterflies in their stomachs swarm. Waverly looked up at Nicole, shifting her eyes from their hands up to Nicole’s eyes. “Thank you for today. You have no idea just how much this means to me.”

Nicole smiled and nodded, “Of course. Thank you for coming, and singing, and making Quinn feel important.” She chuckled as she remembered the course of the day’s events, “This was the best Christmas ever.”

“I’d have to agree,” Waverly smiled, “I’ve never had a Christmas like this before. And I know Wynonna would never admit it, but she really enjoyed herself today. So, thank you from me and from her.”

“Any time.” Nicole looked back down at their hands, but her chin was liften back up by Waverly’s free one. Waverly gently cupped her face and softly pressed their lips together. She kissed her with the most delicate love in the world, one that spoke the emotions she just couldn’t put into words, the endless thank you’s that she just couldn’t put into words.

She split apart and rested their foreheads together, one hand still holding Nicole’s face, her thumb lightly running across her cheek. Nothing could express just how thankful she was for Nicole and her family. She had never felt more in place in the world.

“Merry Christmas, Waves.” Nicole said quietly, looking up into Waverly’s eyes and taking in all their beauty. She would never get tired of her eyes, nor would she ever tire of looking at her, feeling her, listening to her, being with her. She made Nicole feel complete. She was what Nicole was missing all along.

Waverly smiled softly, “Merry Christmas, Nicole. And I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Nicole brought her other hand up to lie on top of Waverly’s, the moment becoming more and more intimate. Both of them never wanted a second to go by without them treasuring every bit of it, taking it in so it would never leave their memories. “So, so much.”

Waverly pulled her head up, “Yeah,” She nodded, “Ditto.”

Nicole laughed, “I get how it feels now.”

“Not too satisfying, huh?” Waverly teased, ruffling Nicole’s hair as they both fell into laughter.

“Oh, hush.” Nicole chuckled, “But this time it means  _ I _  put you at loss for words.”

“Yeah,” Waverly smiled as she leaned in again, “Maybe you did.” She connected her lips with Nicole’s again, this one filled with more lust and love than the first one but still with the same delicacy. She cupped Nicole’s face with both hands this time, pulling her even closer, quite literally sealing the night with a kiss as the clock struck twelve.

Just as they parted for air, both were forced to pull away completely due to the sound of a loud beep that only the two of them could hear.

“Gosh,” Waverly held her ear and furrowed her eyebrows, “Can’t we just have one moment?”

Nicole chuckled and looked up to read what they were in for that night. It was a robbery at a house about fifteen minutes away. The two stood up and got into their suits, and Nicole reluctantly pulled off the Santa hat she’d been wearing all day. As it hit the floor, they both went off to fight off a robber so they could get back to the moment they were previously having.

The robber was double-armed, holding a gun in each hand. Guns used to be a challenge for Nicole, but with Waverly, it was no longer an obstacle. They were able to fight off the bullets together without once being hit, something that would happen to Nicole nearly every time a gun was involved.

Ultrared took him by one arm and flipped him over while Infraviolet emptied his pockets and crushed his weapons in her hand, causing them to disintegrate into a pile of purple dust on the floor with a hint of sparkles. Ultrared found herself laughing at the ease of the crime. She would have definitely preferred to not fight anyone on Christmas, but if she had to, this was the easiest one she could ask for.

With Infraviolet’s help now, both heroes were easily able to get the guy to the ground quickly, the only people getting hurt being the victim and the perpetrator. An ambulance arrived at the same time as the cops, taking the two involved away.

“A very merry Christmas, huh?” Waverly laughed, starting to put a few things in the house back into place. Even if this threw off the calm balance of the day, she felt like it really wouldn’t be complete if some criminal didn’t try to ruin it for the both of them.

“The merriest,” Nicole helped to pick up the out-of-place items and watched Waverly fix the few broken items. “But I wouldn’t rather it be with anyone else.”

“Always such a flirt,” Waverly grinned, her cheeks glowing a bright pink as she looked at Nicole and her dimpled grin. She grabbed her hand and pulled her up, pointing to the ceiling above them. “Looks like the victim was looking out for us.”

Mistletoe.

“Guess so,” Nicole smiled and leaned in, their lips gliding together once more. It was the perfect end to the night, despite a crime being a huge flaw in their plan. If there’s anything life had taught Nicole, though, it’s that the universe always looks out for you. Everything may fall apart to come back together, but eventually it will. Eventually everything solves itself. Eventually, you realize the universe really does care.

_ GAY SUPERHEROES? _

_ ULTRARED AND INFRAVIOLET: SUPERCOUPLE! _

_ #REDVIOLET? #ULTRAVIOLET? #INFRARED?: MEET THE NEWEST ‘POWER’ COUPLE _

 

_ -  _ **EPILOGUE**  -

13 years later.

Waverly and Nicole got married eight years ago and were celebrating their anniversary along with their seven year old daughter’s birthday. They were inseparable as a family and the pair had raised one of the strongest and most special little girls they’d ever known. Nicole always said that somehow Josie ended up with Wynonna’s personality and that she wasn’t going to let another Wynonna boss her around, but sometimes it was just impossible not to give in.

“Hey,” Waverly set her hand on Nicole’s back as they cleaned up after dinner, “You okay?”

Nicole nodded, “Just thinking.” She turned to look at her wife, who raised an eyebrow in questioning. “About us,” Nicole answered, “And Josie, and how lucky I am.” She booped Waverly’s nose.

Waverly slid her arm around Nicole’s waist and rested her head on her shoulder, “I’d say I’m pretty lucky, too.” She looked up at her, “I mean, you’re the hottest person alive, so I’d say I got pretty lucky.”

Nicole scoffed and wrapped her arm back around Waverly, “And you’re the most beautiful, caring, talented, amazing, most perfect person alive,” She kissed Waverly’s forehead, “And that’s why I’m lucky.”

Waverly pulled her head up, “Always have to one-up me, don’t ‘ya?” She cupped one of Nicole’s cheeks and rubbed her thumb across it, “Lover girl.”

“Just telling you that I love you,” Nicole’s dimple sunk into her cheek as she leaned in, pressing her lips to Waverly’s as she set both hands on her hips. Waverly smiled and gave in, kissing her back and cupping her face with two hands, tangling her fingers in Nicole’s hair.

“Mommy!” Josie came running down the stairs, causing Waverly and Nicole to jump apart and turn towards their daughter.

“Yeah?” Nicole answered, feeling Waverly grab one of her hands and intertwine their fingers.

“I’ve got something to show you. It’s a magic trick.” She started running back up the stairs, “Mama, you too!” She shouted, still out of breath from the first run down the stairs.

“I thought you put her to bed,” Waverly questioned as she walked with Nicole up the stairs.

“I did, baby. Promise.” Nicole replied as she followed Waverly up. They made their way up to Josie’s room, where the newly seven year old was standing up on her bed, one of Nicole’s shirts engulfing her. The two stood against the doorway, Nicole’s arm wrapped around Waverly’s waist as Waverly stood in front of her.

“Ready?” Josie asked, obviously still full of energy even though Nicole put her to bed an hour ago.

Nicole nodded, “Show us what you got.”

“Okay,” Josie smiled as she looked away from her mothers and at a few pencils lying on her desk. She held her hand up to them and Waverly immediately stood straight up, already having a terrible gut feeling about what kind of magic trick they were about to see. Nicole had the same idea. Her grip on Waverly tightened as her eyebrows furrowed, the two of them watching all the pencils fly right off the desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading this story and supporting me, it really does mean everything to me. this is my first fic and youve all been so great, and it encourages me so much. i AM working on another story as you all read this, though! and until it's up i have a oneshots book (https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472032/chapters/35917086) if you want more. i may even have some holding out for a hero related oneshots if you all want! again, than you so much for everything. and happy birthday to my bestie adri, who was fortunate enough to get the last chapter on her bday lol. my birthday so friday so her gift better be good shfjkdsf. anyway yeah THANK U!!!!
> 
> tw: frootwyn  
> ig: haughtart


End file.
